Making the announcement at a crowded press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday morning, Chiranjeevi said that his party changed the policy from pro-Telangana state to pro-United Andhra Pradesh, as the majority of the people of the state want to live together.

"I have sent my resignation accepting the moral responsibility for this change of policy," he said.

With this, 16 of the 17 PRP MLAs have resigned from assembly -- 15 in support of united Andhra Pradesh and one for Telangana. Another legislator from Telangana, Maheshwara Reddy, said that he would also resign and fight for Telangana.

"For the first time in the history of the country, people of a state have come out with such intensity in favour of unity," he said, adding, that it is a must for all the political parties to work in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people.

He admitted that in its election manifesto, PRP had promised a democratic Telangana state, because the feeling in support of Telangana state was more intense at that time. "We had felt at the time that a democratic Telangana state and social justice with the people will solve the problem of backwardness of Telangana region. But nobody expected that people will react in this manner in support of united Andhra Pradesh," he said.

He held the Congress party responsible for the present 'alarming situation and deep crisis' in the state and alleged that it took a unilateral and hasty d