Chandrababu Naidu speaks to reporters before leaving for Delhi.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu has begun his indefinite hunger strike in Delhi from today to protest against the Centre's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.
Before leaving for Delhi, the TDP chief said, "The (Telangana) decision is national match-fixing. Congress didn't follow any procedures. They only want to take political advantage." The TDP says it will also write to the leaders of all parties on the statehood issue and expose the "opportunistic politics" of the Congress.
Mr Naidu begins his fast two days after the YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy began his indefinite hunger strike in Hyderabad on Saturday. (
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The ruling Congress says it is surprised by the u-turn, since the TDP chief, through a letter to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in December last year, had supported the formation of Telangana.
"I am surprised Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy have gone back on their Telangana opinion. The political parties should be responsible," party in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh, said.
Meanwhile, anger continued to grow in Seemandhra with 30,000 employees of the state electricity board striking against the decision to create India's 29th state. Train and power services have been badly hit across the state. (
Protests against Telangana, 'powerless' in Hyderabad)
Vizianagaram district is under curfew after large-scale violence by anti-Telangana agitators on Saturday.
The cabinet's controversial decision on Thursday has also led to three Union ministers from Andhra Pradesh, K Chiranjeevi, Pallam Raju and Kotal Surya Prakash Reddy, submitting their resignations.