Hyderabad, Dec 17 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Vijayawada town of coastal Andhra region Thursday when opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on a hunger strike against the move to grant statehood to Telangana were arrested on day five of their 'fast unto death'.

As the condition of legislator D. Umamaheshwar Rao and two other TDP leaders deteriorated, police arrested them and shifted them to a hospital.

Police officials said several TDP workers, who tried to prevent them from arresting the leaders, were also nabbed.

Anticipating the arrests, Rao and two others had locked themselves in a government-owned guesthouse. Police broke open the gate to arrest them and forcibly shifted them to a hospital.

Police had a tough time as hundreds of TDP workers gathered outside to resist the arrests. It also used mild force to bring the situation under control.

Rao and others said they would continue their fast unless the central government withdraws its decision to initiate the process for formation of a separate Telangana state.

In a parallel protest, the indefinite fast by Congress MP from Vijayawada L. Rajagopal entered the third day. Opposing the division of the state, he, along with some other Congress leaders, is sitting on a fast at Swaraj Maidan in Vijayawada.