AP Guv sends report to Centre, confusion over Cabinet status

Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan has sent a report to the Centre following the resignation of N Kiran Kumar Reddy as Chief Minister but confusion seems to persist over the status of the Cabinet, Raj Bhavan sources said today.
The Governor has not asked Kiran to be the caretaker Chief Minister, they said, even as an official notification is yet to be issued on acceptance of the resignation of the 53-year-old pro-united AP leader, who quit the top post yesterday in protest against the State's division.
Kiran's resignation came a day after the Lok Sabha passed the Bill to carve out a separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. He also quit the Congress.

A number of Congress MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have announced resignation from their posts and also from the party over the issue of division, and analysts feel it would be a tough proposition for the Congress to find a successor to Kiran in view of sharp polarisation in the State along regional lines.
Meanwhile, some senior AICC leaders in Delhi had indicated Andhra Pradesh is heading for a spell of President's rule.
Though, the sources and some of Kiran's colleagues informally said the Governor "accepted" the resignation, no official communication has been issued in this regard.

Some of Kiran's erstwhile colleagues are reportedly still going around claiming to be "Ministers" and taking part in "official" programmes in their respective districts.

"Since the Chief Minister's resignation has not been accepted officially, we continue to be Ministers," is said to be their refrain.
"It's a peculiar situation. The Ministers are telling in front of the media they have 'sacrificed' their posts for united AP but they are continuing to enjoy all privileges and taking part in official engagements in the capacity of 'Ministers'. We are confused," a District Collector said.
Meanwhile, amid suspense over Government formation in Andhra Pradesh in the wake of Kiran's resignation, some Ministers in the outgoing Cabinet today met the Governor.
They, however, maintained it was a courtesy call and they did not have any discussion with Narasimhan on either politics or Government formation.