Telangana: TDP MLAs press for resignations, meet speaker

MLAs from Telangana, who put in their papers on July 4 demanding creation of a separate state, on Saturday met Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and requested him to accept their resignations.

Led by Telangana TDP Forum Convenor E Dayakar Rao, around 30 MLAs met the Speaker and requested him to accept their resignations or get an assurance on creation of a separate state.

"We requested the Speaker to accept the resignations since they were submitted in the prescribed format," Rao said.

Manohar told the Opposition legislators that he would follow due procedure before deciding on the resignations.

He would also consult Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who was dealing with the resignations of 14 MPs on the same issue, the Speaker told the TDP lawmakers.

Manohar said he would begin the process after his return from the Commonwealth Speakers' meet in UK.

Friday, suspended TDP MLA Nagam Janardhana Reddy and two rebel legislators also met the Speaker and pressed for acceptance of their resignation letters.

In all, 37 TDP MLAs, including three rebels and one suspended legislator, have tendered their resignations demanding creation of Telangana state.

Neither the Congress nor MLAs from smaller parties, including TRS, have met the Speaker yet to press for acceptance of their resignations.

A total of 101 out of 118 sitting MLAs from Telangana have put in their papers en masse in support of the statehood demand.