Telangana Row: Shutdown continues in Seemandhra for second day

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists took out a bike rally in Anantapur to protest the 'unilateral' decision of the centre. TDP also organized a rally in Chirala town of Prakasam district.

Tension prevailed in temple town of Tirupati as police stopped TDP workers from staging a road blockade near bus station.

The union cabinet Thursday approved draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to carve out Telangana state. The bill was sent to President Pranab Mukherjee Friday with a request to refer the same to Andhra Pradesh assembly under Article 3 of the Constitution of India.

The president is likely to send the bill to the assembly next week and ask it to return the same with its comments in a prescribed time. The bill will again come before the union cabinet, which will give it a final shape before introducing it in the parliament.

There is still no clarity if the bill would come up during the ongoing winter session. Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said if the bill could not be tabled during the current session, a special session may be convened later.