Crisis in Congress, Telangana Legislators get ready to quit

NEW DELHI: Congress was facing fresh trouble over Telangana, with a significant section of MPs and MLAs from the region deciding to go ahead with their plan to resign. Seven Lok Sabha members, who have sought a meeting with Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday morning to put in their papers, have ruled out any negotiations with the party leadership.

The Telangana leaders claimed that 12 ministers, 22 MLAs and 12 MLCs who belong to the region will be acting in tandem. This could push the Kiran Kumar Reddy government into a fresh crisis. However, central leaders are hoping that the absence of the assembly Speaker from Hyderabad - he is currently on tour to the US - will give them more time to talk Telangana leaders out of the rebellion.

But Telangana leaders, who reached here on Sunday evening, said that only the creation of a separate state can settle the problem. The MPs who have threatened to resign their posts include Ponnam Prabhakar, M Jagannath, G Sukender Reddy, S Rajaiah, Balram Naik, G Vivek and K Rajagopal Reddy. They claimed only four MPs from the region - S Jaipal Reddy, S Satyanarayana, Suresh Shetkar and Anjan Kumar Yadav - have expressed reluctance to quit. Madhu Goud Yakshi, who is out of the country, said that he would put in his papers after his return to the Capital. Sources said the Congress high command, which acknowledges that troubles were getting out of hand, could engage the rebel leaders. They also said the Speaker will not take any immediate decision on their resignations, giving some elbow room for the leadership. But things may be more difficult in Hyderabad, as Telangana activists could use the resignation of the state leaders to reignite the agitation.

The state government, which is yet to show that it has the required political nerve and clout to deal with the situation, could come under severe pressure. Reports from Hyderabad said Panchayati Raj Minister K Jana Reddy has appealed to party leaders in Telangana to resignon Monday.