TRS defers decision on resignations over Telangana tussle
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which is heading the agitation for a separate state to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh, Saturday decided to postpone its decision to submit resignations of all its elected representatives, following an appeal by the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC).
TRS parliamentarians, all its 10 members of the Andhra Pradesh assembly and lone member of legislative council will now wait for the decision of the JAC before submitting their resignations to the respective speakers.
The party's floor leader in the state assembly, E. Rajender, told reporters that even if the JAC takes no decision on resignations at its meeting Saturday evening, the TRS would go ahead with the resignations Sunday.
On Friday, TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara announced mass resignations of his party's MPs and legislators to protest the terms of reference of the Srikrishna panel looking into the demand for statehood to Telangana.
Stating that the terms were not favourable for formation of Telangana state, the TRS rejected them and urged all legislators of the region to quit, irrespective of their party affiliations.
However, the unilateral decision of the TRS came under criticism from Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders.
JAC convenor M. Kodandaram met TRS legislators and persuaded them to postpone their decision. "We feel that the JAC should take a unanimous decision to demonstrate our unity. We are meeting today (Saturday) evening and we will take a decision," he said.
While several TDP legislators appear willing to quit, the Telangana leaders of the ruling Congress are divided over the issue. Some Congress leaders have even welcomed the Srikrishna panel's terms of reference.
The agenda announced by the central government on Friday said the five-member panel would look into demands for both separate Telangana state and maintaining the present status of united Andhra Pradesh.
