Protesting the Centre's apparent bid to buy more time on Telangana issue, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and 29 other lawmakers from the region cutting across party lines resigned.
Taking the lead, Rao faxed his resignation letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar late this evening and he was quickly followed by Lok Sabha MP from Medak M Vijayasanthi who was elected on a TRS ticket.
About 30 legislators belonging to Congress, TDP, TRS and Praja Rajyam Party also submitted their resignations when reports last came in till late tonight.
"I have sent my resignation. As many as 30 resignations have been made so far", Rao told reporters emerging from a meeting with senior Congress MLA K Jana Reddy and R Damodar Reddy and other leaders from Telangana.
While all the ten MLAs belonging to TRS submitted their resignations, one MLC belonging to Telangana Vimochana Samiti, three MLAs of TDP, two of PRP also followed suit.
More MLAs and MLCs from Telangana are expected to quit.
TDP MP from Adilabad Ramesh Rathod will submit his resignation tomorrow.
Leaders from all parties in the region formed a Telangana Political Joint Action Committee to take forward their movement for a separate state. The Committee will meet here tomorrow to decide the course of action.
TDP legislators are meeting here tomorrow to decide on their course of action.
Reports reaching here say some chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of Zilla Parishads and other local bodies also resigned in protest against Home Minister P Chidambaram's statement earlier in the evening that the Centre would hold wide-ranging consultations on Telangana issue since a large number of political parties are divided on it.
While legislators from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions appeared gleeful following Chidambaram's tonight, their Telangana counterprts looked distraught this evening.
Senior Congress MLA Ch Muthyam Reddy was the first to announce that he would resign.
Other Congress legislators were huddled in a meeting to discuss the situation and their course of action. PTI
