UwidoNews

Bandhs and protests over the Centre's move to create a separate Telangana state continued for the second day on Saturday, affecting normal life in coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions of Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh stood divided on regional lines on Friday with as many as 128 legislators submitting their resignations protesting the decision of the central government to carve out a separate Telangana state.

The Andhra Pradesh government today conceded a demand for discussion on the contentious Telangana issue in the Assembly, but rejected a plea for moving a resolution seeking creation of a separate state.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah Tuesday said that the central government would take a decision on the bifurcation of the state to create a separate Telangana.

Much to the embarrassment of the grand alliance in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said his party would support the BJP-led NDA at the national level to achieve the creation of a separate state.Rao, who participated in the NDA election rally in Ludhiana on Sunday, welcomed the BJP's announcement of carving a new state of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh within 100 days of coming to power. It was this which brought him nearer to BJP, Rao said.

Giving a new twist to the row over a separate Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah said on Friday that he had not received any directions from the Central Government to move a resolution in the state Assembly.

A day after the Centre agreed to initiate the process for a separate state of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh plunged into turmoil with 120 MLAs and MPs of the Congress.

The battle lines in south coastal Andhra Pradesh and the Rayalaseema region going to the polls in the second phase on Thursday havebeen drawn on the basis of caste.While caste was not a major factor in the first phase of elections in Telangana and north coastal Andhra, the second phase is going to be altogether different. Elections are being held in the state both for its 42 Lok Sabha seats and for the 294-member state assembly.

Life in parts of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were affected on Friday in response to a daylong shutdown to protest the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh.