Telugu Desam MLAs end indefinite fast after police action

Over 20 Telugu Desam Party MLAs, who were on an indefinite hunger strike since March 26 over the power issue, were evicted from the fast site by police in the wee hours today and shifted to a hospital. TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu's wife Bhuvaneswari visited the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) this morning and offered lemon juice to the MLAs to end the fast as health condition of some of them had deteriorated. The police, acting on instructions of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, evicted the legislators from the Old MLA Quarters at around 2 AM and admitted them in NIMS for treatment as the health of at least 10 of them worsened due to four days of fasting. However, the MLAs refused to undergo treatment, asserting they would continue the hunger strike till the government conceded to their demands on the power issue. Later a party leader announced they have ended the fast. The Opposition legislators launched the indefinite fast demanding that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government withdraw move to increase electricity tariff, which would put a whopping Rs 12,000 crore burden on consumers. They wanted the government to bear the burden of fuel surcharge adjustment amounting to another Rs 19,000 crore and not pass it on to consumers. The lawmakers also demanded that the government take urgent steps to mitigate the power woes and ensure supply without interruption. Senior TDP MLA Erraballi Dayakar Rao announced this morning that they have ended the indefinite fast but said the party's agitation on the power issue would continue. The Left parties expressed solidarity with the TDP leaders and said they would together intensify the power agitation.