Hyderabad, April 09: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy appears to be in a fix over accepting the resignation of agriculture minister YS Vivekananda Reddy who is contesting as the Congress candidate for the Pulivendula Assembly seat in the by-election.
Vivekananda Reddy met the chief minister at the Secretariat today and brought pressure on him to accept his resignation forthwith, contending that since he had already retired as a member of the Legislative Council, it was not proper for him to remain a minister.
He told him that he would not file his nomination papers if his resignation was not accepted, it is learnt.
Further, he wanted to send out a message to the voters in Pulivendula that it would give him satisfaction if he contested the poll on his own and shorn of the cabinet berth so that he could ensure a level-playing field for other contestants too. With the Congress deciding to field health minister DL Ravindra Reddy for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, accepting the resignation of Vivekananda Reddy would show Ravindra Reddy in poor light since the latter is reluctant to resign from the cabinet.
According to sources, Ravindra Reddy believes that there is nothing wrong in seeking election being a minister and he would, therefore, not resign.
Vivekananda Reddy submitted his resignation letter to the chief minister on March 30, stating that his term as an MLC had come to an end on March 29 and it was not proper for him to continue in the ministry though there was a constitutional provision which permits him to remain in the post for six months.
He also made it clear that there was no need for a candidate to be a minister.
During recent campaigning in the Pulivendula constituency he told voters that he would become a minister again only if he got elected as MLA.
–Agencies