HYDERABAD: As many as 11 out of the 15 ministers in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government hailing from Telangana region resigned from their posts on Monday on Telangana issue but decided to continue as ministers. But, it was not clear whether they would discharge their duties as ministers or not. Of the 16 ministers from Telangana region, Jupalli Krishna Rao had already submitted his resignation which was accepted by the chief minister.
On a day of mass resignations, 11 out of 15 ministers quit their posts. Whether they would attend their regular duties as ministers and attend the Cabinet meetings is not known immediately. Two senior ministers K Jana Reddy and Ponnala Lakshmaiah left for Delhi late in the evening to meet the Congress top brass.
After submitting their resignations, all ministers called on the chief minister and appraised him of the situation. “We are not here to create a Constitutional crisis, as demanded by some parties,” Jana Reddy said after tendering his resignation. “Resignation is a part of putting pressure on the Centre to carve out separate Telangana state,” he said.
However, there was a difference of opinion among the ministers on resignations. Some ministers opined that they should simultaneously tender resignations both as an MLA and also as minister. Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and some other ministers even drafted the resignation letters for ministerial berths. But, other seniors reportedly told Venkata Reddy not take a hasty decision. “We will continue as ministers till the speaker accepts our resignations as MLAs,” a minister said.
“This is now or never situation. We will prevail upon the Centre for the need to create Telangana state. We are even prepared to quit as ministers,” Komatireddy averred.
CM Asks T Ministers to Attend Duties
In the wake of several MLAS and ministers resigning to their posts on Monday, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy suggested to the 11 Telangana ministers to continue attending their duties till a decision was taken on their resignations. Accordingly later in the evening, home minister P Sabitha Reddy attended a review meeting convened by the chief minister on law and order issue.
However, the Telangana ministers drew flak from the people of the region for failing to resign their ministerial berths. Medak MP Vijayashanthi (TRS) remarked that the people would treat the resignations of the Congress leaders as ‘fake’ if they continue to attend official duties. “Attending government’s review meetings is against the spirit of resignation,’’ she quipped.
Meanwhile, Kiran Kumar Reddy called a high-level meeting at his camp office to review the steps to be taken for the two-day bandh call given by the TJAC. He directed the authorities to take steps ensuring that no untoward incident takes place during the bandh. Besides the home minister, deputy chief minister C Damodar Rajanarsimha, APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana who also holds transport portfolio, ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Dharmana Prasada Rao, D Manikya Vara Prasad and Vatti Vasant Kumar were also present.
Dy CM, Marri, 3 City Ministers Did Not Quit
Deputy chief minister C Damodar Rajanarsimha (Andole Assembly segment), ministers P Shankar Rao (Secunderabad Cantonment), Danam Nagender (Khairatabad), M Mukesh Goud (Goshamahal), NDMA vice-chairman Marri Shasidhar Reddy (Sanathnagar) were among the prominent members who have not submitted resignations to their posts on Monday.
Of the 15 Telangana ministers, 11 submitted their resignations to the deputy speaker. Besides, 28 Telangana Congress MLAs, three associate members and two PRP (recently merged with the Congress) members also resigned. As for the opposition TDP, all the 37 Telangana TDP MLAs including four rebels also resigned to their posts. It is learnt that MLAs Uttam Kumar Reddy (Huzurnagar), T Jayaprakash Reddy (Sanga Reddy), T Manemma (Musheerabad) have not resigned.