Chief Minister K Rosaiah resigns

Citing ill health and exigencies of work, Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Wednesday submitted his resignation to Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan.

Though Mr Rosaiah cited health problems as the reason for his decision to step down, highly placed sources say that the decision was made for him by the High Command in the light of the growing dissatisfaction in the party cadre.

Sources say that the High Command did not take lightly to the manner in which Mr Rosaiah tackled the increasing dissension among the lower-rung party cadre, who had started to raise slogans against him at almost every possible opportunity.

Some of the protests, due to the absence of the portraits of his predecessor YS Rajasekhara Reddy at government meetings, had become a regular feature in his public meetings.

Mr Rosaiah spent 447 days as Chief Minister of the state, and he is largely credited with handling the volatile political situation which had arisen in the aftermath of YSR’s untimely death.

According to source, Assembly Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy will succeed Mr Rosaiah in the hot seat, but other contenders to the throne like Information and Public Relations Minister J Geetha Reddy and Union Minister Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy are also considered as favourites.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel and Veerappa Moily are visiting the Hyderabad to deal with the situation.