New Delhi: Despite the best efforts by Congress top brass, party leaders from Seemandhra region have been unrelenting in their opposition to the creation of a separate Telangana state.

Five Lok Sabha Congress MPs from Andhra region – L Rajgopal, A Saipratap, V Arun Kumar, G V Harsh Kumar, Anant Venkatram Reddy – tendered their resignation to the Lok Sabha Secretary General on Friday. They also submitted the resignation of MP SPY Reddy.

Also, party’s Rajya Sabha MP KVP Ramchandra Rao has also tendered his resignation.

Besides the MPs union ministers from the region are also mulling resigning from their posts. “Ministers from Andhra region will be meeting the PM and Sonia Gandhi possibly tomorrow to tender their resignation,” said Union Minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy.

The resignations came after the MPs mulled over the issue in a late-night meeting yesterday. As per reports, the leaders felt that after the creation of Telangana it makes little sense for them to continue in their posts.

The four union ministers who are likely to quit are Pallam Raju, JD Seelam, Purandeshwari Devi and Killi Krupa Rani.

In Andhra Pradesh, several Congress MLAs have already tendered their resignation with reports claiming that many more will join their ranks.

Notwithstanding the protests, the Congress high command asserted that the Telangana issue is settled once and for all and hoped that those opposed to the decision would accept the “justified” decision.

However, the party also continued to engage the disgruntled leaders in talks and hopes that they would be dissuaded against resigning.

Meanwhile, 14 Telegu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs have also resigned protesting that the Centre did not give firm assurance on protecting the interests of people in the proposed Andhra Pradesh state after the separation of Telangana.

Yesterday, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde ruled out the possibility of the introduction of the bill for the creation of Telangana in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

However, he ensured that the new state will become a reality in six months.

“Not in this session. I do not think it will come so soon. May be, by next session,” the Union Minister said at a press conference here.

Shinde said, “Normally it takes 8-9 months but we will try to do at the earliest. May be five and half months to six months, may be earlier than that.”