Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's efforts to placate the Congress MLAs from Telangana to give up their agitation, as the centre would make an announcement on the issue in the first week of March, failed to yield any positive result.

The Congress members, who have been raising the issue and disrupting the ongoing budget session of state assembly along with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs, told the chief minister that they would not attend the house but would join the ongoing agitation for a separate state outside the assembly.

Reddy held a meeting with the Telangana Congress MLAs in his assembly chambers on Monday after they disrupted the proceedings along with TDP members from the region.

The chief minister, who returned from New Delhi last night after talks with Congress high command leaders, told his party members that the centre was about to make an announcement on the vexatious issue in March first week.

"A Bill may be tabled in parliament after the elections in five states. So please keep his agitation on hold," Reddy told the Telangana Congress MLAs.

However, S Rajaiah, who is leading the protest in the house, told PTI after the meeting that "we made it clear to the chief minister that we will not stay away from the ongoing agitation. We, however, told him that we shall abstain from the assembly till the centre makes an announcement."

The Telangana Congress MLAs distributed a pamphlet in the assembly urging their party colleagues from Andhra-Rayalaseema regions to co-operate for the smooth division of the state. "Let us get separated as good brothers," they urged.

Meanwhile, the Telangana issue continued to push the Andhra Pradesh assembly into turmoil for the eighth day forcing its adjournment twice on Monday morning.

No business could be transacted as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs from the region rushed into the well of the house demanding that a bill for creation of a separate Telangana state be immediately tabled in parliament.

The ruling Congress legislators from Telangana too joined the issue, holding placards and raising slogans. The CPI MLAs as well raised the issue, disrupting proceedings of the House. The main separatist TRS legislators boycotted the proceedings today.

Legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu appealed to the members to let the house transact business. He took exception to the TDP members' protest saying it was their party that blocked the creation of Telangana state during the NDA regime, recalling L K Advani's statement on the issue.

Leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu hit back saying it was Congress that was the root cause for current imbroglio.

At one stage, TDP MLA Kothakota Dayakar Rao rushed angrily towards Sridhar Babu protesting his remarks against the TDP. Chief whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other Congress MLAs prevented the TDP member from virtually getting physical with the minister. Amidst this, Deputy speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the house for 15 minutes.

When the house re-assembled after one-and-a-half hour after the first break, the TDP Telangana members once again stormed the speaker's podium holding placards. The CPI MLAs too joined them. The Telangana Congress legislators, however, stayed away from the house this time.

The deputy speaker repeatedly appealed to the members to go back to their seats and protest but to no avail. Manohar then adjourned the proceedings for another half an hour after postponing the listed questions for the day.