Kiran Kumar Reddy submits his resignation to Governor ESL Narsimhan in Hyderabad on Wednesday
Hours after Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned from the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's post, the membership of the state assembly and the Congress party in protest against the passage of the Telangana bill in the Lok Sabha a day earlier, he warned that the move did not portend well for the country, and the party.
"There will be problem for the country in the future, mark my words," Mr Reddy, 53, told NDTV in an exclusive interview, adding, "The Congress party has always been saved by Andhra Pradesh. I don't think Telugu people will ever forget this."
(Track LIVE Updates)In the outgoing Lok Sabha, Andhra Pradesh had sent the largest contingent of MPs (33) to the Congress' kitty of 206 seats. The party faces a rout in the 25 constituencies falling in the Seemandhra region, but is hoping for a revival in its fortunes in Telangana, which sends 17 members to the Lok Sabha.
He played the Telugu "bidda" (son of the soil) card to perfection to justify his resignation. "My political role is not paramount for me. The state's unity and the future of Telugu people is paramount. Linking the state's bifurcation with political gains is wrong," Mr Reddy said.
On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha passed the controversial bill that creates a new Telangana state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
For months, Mr Reddy has battled for a united Andhra Pradesh, rebelling against his party which decided to hurry through its Telangana plan with an eye on the national elections due by May. Mr Reddy's efforts have included leading the state Assembly in rejecting the Telangana plan and a protest sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
The Seemandhra region is observing a daylong bandh today against the bifurcation plan.