Congress MPs from Seemandhra urge Speaker to accept resignations

NEW DELHI: With Congress appearing firm on Telangana decision, six party MPs from Seemandhra region today met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar pressing her to accept their resignation.

Upset over party's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, Lok Sabha members of Congress A Sai Prathap (Rajampet constituency), Anantha Venkatarami Reddy (Anantapur)C V Harsha Kumar (Amalapuram-SC), Vundavalli Arun Kumar (Rajahmundry), Lagadapati Rajagopal (Vijayawada) and S P Y Reddy (Nandyal) had submitted their resignations last month to the then Lok Sabha Secretary General T K Vishwanathan.

Vundavali, Lagdapati Rajagopal, Anantha Venkatarami Reddy and Sai Prathap, who are still with Congress, met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, asking her to accept their resignations.

Two others, S P Y Reddy and Shabbam Hari (Anakapalli), have now joined YSR Congress.

SPY Reddy told PTI that he requested the Speaker to accept his resignation and "relieve him".

"I had no other issues with Congress. I quit the party on only one issue of united Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Kumar had one-to-one meeting with the MPs. Another MP Sabbam Hari, who had faxed his resignation earlier, appeared in person today and submitted his "original" resignation letter, the sources said.

"We told the Speaker that 57 days have passed since we put in our papers. We cannot face our electorates after this decision. We insisted she accept our resignation. She said that she will take action as per the rule book," Lagdapati Rajagopal said.

Congress has set up a panel headed by A K Antony to look into the grievances arising out of the decision to create a separate Telangana, which was announced by Congress Working Committee in July.