13 Telangana ministers resign from Andhra cabinet

The four-month-old K Rosaiah government of Andhra Pradesh plunged into another crisis, as all the 13 ministers from Telangana region tendered their resignations to the chief minister on Friday.

The ministers including J Geeta Reddy, D Sridhar Rao, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and others met the chief minister at the secretariat and handed him over a combined resignation letter demanding a clear commitment from the central government to the formation of Telangana state.

There was no immediate response from the chief minister's office.

The ministers have also faxed the copies of the joint resignation letter to the All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi.

"For us power and the posts are not important, Telangana is important," said Higher Education Minister Sridhar Babu, after Telangana ministers held a meeting.

Former information minister Geeta Reddy, who is also the leader of the House in the state assembly, said the latest statement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was not clear and that the Centre must give a clear timeframe for completing the consultations and initiating the process for forming Telangana state.

Meanwhile, a group of people attacked the residence of Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah in Warangal and destroyed the goods and furniture. The mob demanded his immediate resignation in support of Telangana state.

Security has been tightened at all ministers' residences.

Lakshmaiah said the ministers in the joint resignation letter faxed to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had sought clarity on the timeframe for forming Telangana.

"We have conveyed our feelings to the party high command. The second statement of Chidambaram has created confusion among the people and clarity is needed," he said.

Another minister J Krishna Rao said the statement had led to an outburst from the people and the Centre must give a reassurance about forming Telangana state.

"As we belong to Telangana, we are also concerned about the situation and it is to express our concern that we have tendered resignations".

However, sources said the ministers' resignation letter could be accepted only if they were in accordance with the set procedure and that every minister was required to give a separate letter for resignation to be valid.

Earlier, there had been uncertainty regarding the resignation by two ministers from Hyderabad, D Nagendar and M Mukesh Goud, who had wanted Hyderabad as a Union Territory instead of being merged with Telangana.

But the ministers gave into the pressure and joined other Telangana ministers.

Member of Legislative Assembly Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who hails from Khammam district in Telangana, has also tendered his resignation. Vikramarka too had not been keen on joining the protests after the home minister's statement.