Ten TDP MLAs today decided to resign in protest against the Centre's decision that appeared to put the Telanagana issue on the backburner even as the main opposition party extended support to the two-day bandh called in the region.
At a party meeting here, 10 TDP MLAs belonging to Telangana decided to submit their resignations to Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Former Andhra Pradesh minister and TDP legislator N Janardhan Reddy told reporters that the Congress has "betrayed" the Telangana people by diluting its earlier promise of granting statehood to the backward region.
Reddy said his party wanted the bandh to be peaceful and appealed to the students and general public to support the shutdown.
The bandh, which began midnight last night, has been called by the TRS and other parties to protest the Centre's move to hold further consultations on the Telangana statehood issue.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram last night said, "A large number of political parties are divided on the issue" and the situation has "altered" since the Centre's December 9 announcement on a separate state for the region comprising ten districts."