<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">In Telangana, the Congress party is exploring all options to oppose the merger of a group of 12 party MLAs  into the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.<br />''<br />'' In the aftermath of Legislative Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy's consent to the merger, the Congress party is gearing up to fight back the decision.  Pradesh Congress Committee President N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the party would move a petition in the High Court today challenging the merger decision and would also move the Supreme Court if necessary.  <br />''<br />''Congress Legislative Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that that he would launch tomorrow a 36-hour hunger strike in protest against merger. AIR correspondent reports that after 12 Congress MLAs merged their group in the ruling party, the Congress party's strength in the Assembly fell to 6 from 18. <br />''<br />''As a result, the party has lost its main opposition party status in the Assembly as AIMIM, a regional party, with a strength of 7 MLAs in the  House has emerged as the second largest party. At the same time, the CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramaraka will be stripped off the post of leader of Opposition in the House. <br />''<br />''Expressing  hue and cry over this, the Congress leaders  are coming to  the agitation mode and planning to launch a series of protests.  They questioned the Speaker's  consent to merger when their petition seeking disqualification of party MLAS who switched loyalties to the TRS is still pending with the High Court. The party leaders alleged that the ruling party is stifling the voice of the opposition and making a mockery of the mandate of the people.</span>