Hyderabad, October 30: The Congress party suffered a major jolt on Sunday after three MLAs from the Telangana region submitted their resignations from the party.
Former minister and Kollapur MLA Jupally Krishna Rao, Station Ghanpur MLA Tadikonda Rajaiah and Ramagundem MLA Somarapu Satyanarayana resigned from the party’s membership. The trio faxed their resignation letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana.
Later, addressing a press conference at Somajiguda press club Jupally said that they have resigned from the party’s membership as “Congress will never give Telangana”. Admitting that they have been planning to quit the party for a long time, Jupally said that they were under immense pressure from the party and also from the Seemandhra leaders to stay put in the party.
Describing the Telangana ministers and MLAs as ‘helpless’ and without any powers, Jupally said that the Home Minister P Sabith Indira Reddy was unable to take action against a DSP who allegedly beat up a Kakatiya University student. He said that irrespective of their designations or posts the leaders from the region have no say in the party. He pointed out Congress MLAs and MPs were indiscriminately booked under serious offences when they participated in the Rail Roko agitation.
The Kollapur MLA claimed that many Congress MLAs and even MPs were ready to quit the party. He said the party would be wiped out in the region due to its anti-Telangana approach.
The Congress MLAs said that the Centre has failed to react even after nearly 700 people committed suicide for the statehood cause and the entire region remained almost shut for 42 days. However, they hoped that their resignations would open the eyes of party High Command and it would take an early decision on the statehood issue to prevent further damage. They said they would revive the Telangana agitation from the grassroots level.
It may be mentioned that Jupally Krishna Rao was the first to resign from the State Cabinet demanding statehood for Telangana region. His resignation was accepted on June 1. Later, he also submitted his resignation from the post of Kollapur MLA. However, Speaker Nadendla Manohar is yet to take a decision on the same.
Earlier, Rajaiah and Satyanarayana too had submitted resignations from the MLAs’ posts along with other elected representatives in July this year. However, their resignations were rejected by the Speaker.
After resigning from the Congress party, all the three MLAs visited the Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park opposite the Legislative Assembly and paid tributes to those who died for the cause of Telangana statehood cause. (INN)