TRS MLAs resign, BJP, CPI to follow suit

A day after Congress and Telugu Desam Party Legislators from Telangana submitted their resignations from their elected posts, another batch of 11 MLAs belonging to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi handed over their resignations on Tuesday.

MLAs belonging to the Communist Party of India and Bharatiya Janata Party are expected to submit their resignations by Tuesday evening.

Led by Floor Leader in the state Assembly Etala Rajender, all the eleven MLAs of the TRS, including three suspended MLAs Vidyasagar Rao, A Ravinder Reddy, K Samaiah, submitted their resignations to Assembly Secretary Raja Sadaram.

While K Taraka Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, K Eswar, Vinay Bhaskar and Etela Rajender handed over their resignation letters personally, Chennamaneni Ramesh, Arvind Kumar Reddy and N Odelu  faxed in their papers to Deputy Speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

Mr Rajender told media persons that the resignations by the TRS MLAs were proof that the posts are not important for his party leaders and the ultimate goal was only to achieve separate Telangana state.

The TRS leader also appealed to the seven MIM Legislators, Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and Deputy Speaker Mallu Batti Vikramarka to resign from their posts to express solidarity to the Telangana agitation.

Elsewhere, the Communist Party of India convened an emergency meeting to discuss whether to follow the example set by the Congress and TDP Legislators on Monday and resign.

Speaking to media persons after emerging out of the meeting, CPI leader Gunda Mallesh said that the party Legislators are ready to submit their resignations for the sake of the separate statehood agitation.

“We are waiting for the nod of party’s state secretary K Narayana. Once he gives us the go ahead, we will submit our resignations,” Mr Mallesh said.

Meanwhile expressing solidarity to Telangana agitation, Bharatiya Janata party leaders also decided that the party’s two representatives in the Assembly, G Kishen Reddy and Lakshminarayana would also resign from their elected posts by Tuesday evening.