Choosing Kiran's successor tough for Congress

The Governor has not asked Kiran to be the caretaker Chief Minister and 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 in protest against the State's division, Raj Bhavan sources said on Thursday.

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 on Thursday 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.

Those who called on the Governor, included Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, who was Finance Minister in Reddy's Cabinet, and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, who held the Transport portfolio.

The meeting assumed significance as it came amid speculation that some of the Congress leaders favoured formation of a new Government in the state, where Assembly election is due along with Lok Sabha polls.

In Vijayawada, the Advocates Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is opposing the bifurcation, said they are contemplating to take their fight to the Supreme Court.

"Our battle will shift to Delhi where we will take up legal fight against the formation of Telangana by approaching the Supreme Court," said JAC Convener and Vijayawada Bar Association President M. Jayakar Babu.

"We are waiting for the outcome of Rajya Sabha proceedings (on Telangana Bill) and based on that a petition will be filed in the Supreme Court," he said.

On resuming the court duty, from which the lawyers have been abstaining for nearly 200 days, he said a final decision will be taken on February 22 during the general body meeting of the Seemandhra Advocates JAC here.

Meanwhile, the Government employees from Seemandhra, who have been agitating against the division and abstaining from office work, resumed their duties on Thursday.