Hyderabad, Sep 18 (IANS): A self-immolation attempt by a 46-year-old auto-rickshaw driver near the official residence of Telangana Chief Minister was foiled by police personnel on Friday.

The man identified as Chander suddenly appeared in front of Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and poured petrol on his body. But before he could set himself afire, a police official rushed to the spot and apprehended him.

As the police was whisking Chander away, he said that he had attempted suicide near the Assembly in 2010 for a separate Telangana State.

"After formation of Telangana state, I was not even allotted a house," he said.

Chander said he had applied for a double bed-room housing scheme of the state government.

The incident, which created a flutter in the high-security Begumpet neighbourhood, came barely a week after a watchman immolated himself near the Assembly.

On September 11, Baikeli Nagulu (55) set himself ablaze on the road near the Assembly complex when the session was on.

Policemen had doused the fire but by then he had sustained 25 per cent burn injuries.

The man succumbed at a hospital two days later.