Five YSR Congress Party MPs, who on Friday submitted their resignation letters to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan over the “failure” of the Centre to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, have began an ‘indefinite hunger strike” in protest.

The five MPs are Vara Prasad Rao V, Y V Subba Reddy, P V Midhun Reddy, Y S Avinash Reddy and the party floor leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy.

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After tendering their resignation, the MPs began an “indefinite hunger strike” at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan on Ashoka Road in New Delhi to step up their fight for special status for the state.

Several party MLAs and cadres from the state also joined the protest.

The MPs are also enraged at the Speaker not taking up the no-confidence motion moved by the party against the Narendra Modi government.

YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy has also dared the rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to follow suit.

“We do as we say! YSRCP MPs are submitting their resignations today (Friday). I challenge Chandrababu Naidu to make TDP MPs resign and stand united with the people of Andhra Pradesh in their rightful demand of special status for Andhra Pradesh,” Jaganmohan Reddy tweeted.

The YSR Congress, as well the TDP, staged noisy protests inside both Houses of Parliament over the demand of special status to Andhra Pradesh ever since the second-half of the Budget session had commenced on March 5.

While the TDP quit the ruling coalition — the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — over the issue, the YSR Congress gave notice for the no-confidence motion against the Modi government.

However, the Speaker did not take up the motion even as other opposition parties also gave no-confidence notices, saying the motion could not be taken up when the House was not in order.

(With agency inputs)