A day after the Centre agreed to initiate the process for a separate state of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh plunged into turmoil with MLAs and MPs of the Congress, TDP and Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) submitting their resignations in protest against the bifurcation. As Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema erupted in fury, chief minister K Rosaiah said a resolution on Telangana would be moved in the state Assembly only if there was consensus among all parties ?a clear indication that nothing was going to be done in a hurry.

?I don?t think the state will be divided immediately. The Union home minister said the process would be initiated which has been done but there are several stages in it. We have to consult political parties and people of different regions and then take a decision… If the need arises and a resolution is moved, it will be passed only if we get majority support,? Rosaiah said.

The unity and consensus among all parties to support the creation of a separate Telangana state was in disarray after the decision to initiate the process for a separate state was announced by Union home minister P Chidambaram late on Wednesday. Before the May general elections, the Congress, TDP and PRP had promised to support a separate Telangana, but today MLAs of all these parties were united against bifurcation of the state. The Congress too split over the issue.

Angry MLAs huddled into Coastal and Rayalaseema groups. By the time the state Assembly dispersed for lunch, 53 MLAs of Congress, 29 from TDP and 12 from PRP queued up outside Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy?s chamber with their resignation letters. Even the Speaker, Congress MLA from Pileru in Chittoor, threatened to resign.

In New Delhi, Congress MP from Vijayawada, Laggadabati Rajagopal submitted his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker. He was followed by MV Mysoora Reddy, TDP?s Rajya Sabha MP, Narayana Rao, TDP MP from Machilipatnam, Antanta Venkatarama Reddy, Congress MP from Anantapur, and Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy, Congress MP from Kurnool. The Congress has 156 MLAs, TDP 92 and PRP 18.

Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy had not accepted the resignations till late evening. ?As for Congress MLAs, until I accept their resignations, the government enjoys their support,? he said, putting at rest speculation on the government?s fate.

The Congress was forced to take a decision on Telangana on Wednesday as the health of TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao deteriorated and students threatened to march to the Assembly to press for a separate state.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who did a U-turn before the general elections and changed the party?s 25-year-old stand in favour of Telangana, blamed the Centre for taking a ?hasty? decision.

?The Centre should have consulted everyone before arriving at the decision so quickly. The state has plunged into crisis due to this. The TDP will support a separate Telangana provided there is consensus among parties and people,? Naidu said. He claimed none of his MLAs who resigned had consulted him.

PRP president Chiranjeevi said he was told by his MLAs about their decision to resign. ?There should be consensus, opinion of everyone should be taken before such a decision,? he said.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas who hails from Nizamabad in Telangana found himself in a spot. ?I don?t know what to say. The decision on Telangana is welcome but the resignation of MLAs bothers me,? he said.