The cracks in the ranks were evident Tuesday when Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh clashed on the decision to create a separate state of Telangana, leading to the Lok Sabha being adjourned for a while.
As soon as zero hour started, members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were allowed to raise the issue of Telangana, which they vociferously opposed, and gathered near Speaker Meira Kumar's podium.
They were soon joined by several Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh, including Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. Jaganmohan Reddy was even observed shaking hands with members of the TDP, in opposition in the southern state.
He was also seen holding a placard stating "We want united AP".
When some Congress MPs from Andhra region, led by K.N. Rao, tried to raise their voices and rushed towards the podium, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal tried to pacify them and asked them to return to their seats.
Some MPs from Telangana led by M. Jagannath also raised their voices, leading to an angry verbal exchange between Congress MPs who found themselves on opposing sides of the Telangana issue.
The speaker was forced to adjourn the house for 10 minutes till 12.30 p.m.