The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu will go on an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi from today to protest against the Centre's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Naidu, scheduled to arrive in the national capital this morning, will interact with the media before beginning his fast in the afternoon.
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.
"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.
In Hyderabad, YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy, who has taken a centre-stage in the renewed stir, continued his hunger strike on the third day on Monday.
Meanwhile, the anti-Telangana protests entered the fourth day in Seemandhra region on Monday.
The power shutdown crippled normal life in 13 districts of Seemandhra (comprising coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) as Power Employees' Joint Action Committee called an indefinite strike on Sunday morning.
They had announced on Saturday that 70,000 workers of transmission, generation and distribution companies would go on an indefinite stir.
Power production at the Kadapa and Vijayawada thermal units and Srisailam hydro units was also hit.
Further tripping could affect the entire southern grid, the employees said. Some media reports said even neighbouring Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were affected.
Due to the power situation, the South Central Railway cancelled the Jan Shatabdi Express running between Chennai Central and Vijayawada, scheduled to leave the city on Monday.
Protesters defied curfew and shoot-at-sight orders to clash with police on Sunday. They pelted stones at security forces and the troops retaliated by firing rubber bullets. Curfew was also imposed in Vizianagaram town after day-long violence on Saturday.
According to media reports, 20 policemen and 30 protesters were injured. Dozens of agitators were arrested.
