Angry Andhra MPs may endanger UPA government

Andhra Pradesh now faces the specter of President's Rule due to the political instability prevalent in the state with the resignations of a large number of legislators over the Telangana issue, questions are also being asked whether the happenings in Andhra Pradesh cast their shadow on the Manmohan Singh led-United Progressive Alliance government in New Delhi.

The question assumes significance in view of the fact that many of the Congress MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayala Seema regions are inclined to put in their papers under mounting public pressure. They are unhappy with the decision of the Congress leadership to start the process for the formation of a seperate Telangana.

The Congress had won 33 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh making it the biggest contingent of Congress MPs  from single state in the country.  21 of these MPs were elected from the Andhra and Rayala Seema regions and 12 won from Telangana.

Three of the MPs from coastal Andhra have already sent their resignations. They include Lagdapati Rajgopal of Vijaywada, Venkatram Reddy from Anantapur and SPY Reddy from Nandyal. After the resignation of 20 ministers and 140 legislators, the MPs were also facing the heat from their supporters to take a bold step. If they too send in their resignations, the UPA too will feel the tremors of the Andhra- Telangana fallout.

The Congress central leadership was already busy in discussions with many of these MPs. The main trouble shooter of UPA and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had a round of talks with them and tried to persuade them against any hasty decision.

It was obvious that the high command was caught unawares by the intensity of the opposition to the stand on Telangana in the other two regions. According to the sources, Pranab Mukherjee wondered aloud before the MPs how they can oppose the decision on Telangana having repeated so many times in the past five years that they will accept the final decision of party president Sonia Gandhi. He drew their attention that only a few days back the Congress legislature party had passed one line resolution leaving the final decision on Telangana to All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi.

Mukherji was dumb struck by their reply. "We did not know that the people in our regions were against Telangana to this extent".