Y S R Congress party president and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday launched an indefinite hunger strike at his residence here against the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
This is the second time that Jagan is undertaking an indefinite fast on the issue.
Last month, he went on an indefinite hunger strike in Chanchalguda Jail, where he was lodged as an undertrial in an alleged disproportionate assets case against him, but it was foiled on the fifth day.
The ruling Congress party had recently approved the creation of a new Telangana state, a move that has revived deep political divisions and raised fears of violence in the area, home to global firms including Google.
On Friday, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at the Congress, blaming it for votebank politics ahead of the 2014 general elections, and said that he would undertake an indefinite fast from October 7.
Violent protests, shutdown, stone pelting and baton charge by security forces was reported on Friday from various parts of the southern Andhra Pradesh state which is reeling under the pressure of carving out a separate state affecting thousands of its residents.
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Six central goverment ministers and many lawmakers have resigned after the cabinet announced its decision to go ahead with the bifurcation of the state.
The Union Cabinet has endorsed the creation of a new Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh and also said that Hyderabad would be the joint capital for a period of ten years.
The announcement was followed by an offer of a series of resignations from the federal ministers, including, Education Minister, M. M. Pallam Raju, Textiles Minister Kavuri Samba Siva Rao, Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi, and Junior Railway Minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy.
Hyderabad, India's sixth largest city, was a bone of contention because it fell in the proposed new state carved out of the western part of Andhra Pradesh.
A government official said there was still a long way to go before the new state, which will have an estimated population of 40 million, became a reality.
The measure has to be approved by the Andhra assembly and then parliament where the Congress does not have a clear majority.
The creation of Telangana after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would lead to the formation of India's 29th state.
The decision to break up Andhra Pradesh and establish Telangana out of the erstwhile domain of Hyderabad's Nizam came ahead of elections next year.