AP ministers from Seemandhra may resign en masse

HYDERABAD: Ministers from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, of Andhra Pradesh are likely to resign from their posts en masse as soon as the ongoing debate on the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 concludes.

State Social Welfare Minister Pitani Satyanarayana told this to reporters here this evening.

"We are not going to hang on to our posts. As soon as the debate (on the draft Bill) concludes, we are ready to quit our posts in Legislature any moment. We will become 'former'," the minister said.

The Chief Minister is also likely to step down from the post, Pitani, who is considered close to Kiran, pointed out.

He said that people of Seemandhra region were seeking a new political party.

"People want a new political party to take birth for the sake of a united AP. But so far, we have no thought of floating a new party," the minister said in reply to a question.

The minister said they would seek another 60 days time from the President of India to return the draft Bill after a debate in the Legislature.

The President gave time till January 23 to the Legislature to discuss and return the draft Bill.

Pitani's comments assume significance as he is one of the very few ministers in the inner circle of the Chief Minister.

Already, there has been a lot of speculation that the Chief Minister - who has been totally opposing the bifurcation of the state - was preparing ground to launch his own political party on the united AP platform.

A widespread campaign is also underway in Seemandhra districts now, albeit without any names, about the new party.

Interestingly, the Chief Minister's statement that "United AP is not our slogan...it's our policy," is predominant on the campaign material being used in Seemandhra now.