Two Seemandhra ministers tender resignations

Opposing the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, two cabinet ministers from Seemandhra Monday submitted their resignations to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.

Minister for Infrastructure and Investment G. Srinivasa Rao and Law Minister E. Pratap Reddy met the governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted their resignations with a request to accept them. However, the governor said he would send their resignations to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and act according to his recommendation.

The two ministers later told reporters that they decided to join the ongoing 'Samaikya Andhra' or united Andhra agitation. "We can't continue on our posts when people are on streets to oppose the state's division," said Srinivasa Rao.

Both minister said they would continue as members of the state legislative assembly to vote against formation of separate Telangana state when a resolution is brought before the house.

Minister for Animal Husbandry P. Viswaroop, who was also expected to submit his resignation to the governor, did not turn up.

Earlier, a group of ministers including Srinivasa Rao and Pratap Reddy from Seemandhra called on the chief minister and urged him to accept their resignations.

Srinivasa Rao said the chief minister advised them to wait for couple of days. "The chief minister said we will take a collective decision in the best interest of the state," the minister added.

Eight ministers from Seemandhra (the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions of the state) last monbth submitted their resignations to the chief minister to protest the Congress Working Committee's decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

As the chief minister has not accepted any resignation, the ministers are under pressure from people in their respective regions to press for their acceptance.

Revenue Minister Raghuveera Reddy said resignations were not a solution to the problem. He said the minister would go to Delhi once again to urge the leadership not to go ahead with the bifurcation.