The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the formation of a new Telangana state by dividing Andhra Pradesh, thereby putting an end to an agitation spanning over several decades.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the formation of a new Telangana state by dividing Andhra Pradesh, thereby putting an end to an agitation spanning over several decades. But the controversial decision to carve out the country’s 29th state has started taking its toll on the Congress, with Union minister Chiranjeevi putting in his papers and three Seemandhra leaders and current MPs — Undavalli Arun Kumar, Sabam Hari and Sai Pratap — resigning from the party. Union HRD minister Pallam Raju and textiles minister K.S. Rao have also offered to resign and have been asked to continue by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. More resignations from the Union Cabinet are likely to follow in the coming days. The YSR Congress has, meanwhile, called for a 72-hour bandh in Andhra Pradesh to protest against the bifurcation. Hyderabad will be the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra for 10 years, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said after the Cabinet meeting, which lasted for nearly three hours.
