Hyderabad:
Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan today accepted the resignation of state Infrastructure and Investment Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.
Komatireddy submitted his resignation to the Governor on October 1, protesting the Centre's dilly-dallying stance on the contentious Telangana statehood issue.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today recommended to the Governor to accept Komatireddy's resignation after he received the nod from the Congress high command.
Komatireddy, who represents Nalgonda in Telangana, has also resigned from the membership of the state Assembly but Speaker Nadendla Manohar is yet to take a decision on this.
Komatireddy has been taking an active part in the ongoing struggle for a separate state along with leaders of other parties.
He had lashed out at the Chief Minister recently on the statehood issue and even accused him of sending misleading reports to the Centre on the ongoing indefinite strike by a cross-section of people.
He is the second minister, after Jupalli Krishna Rao, from the Telangana region to have quit the state Cabinet on the statehood issue. Jupalli quit the Cabinet on May 31 this year but has been continuing as an MLA.
With Komatireddy's resignation, the number of ministers from the Telangana region in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet has fallen to 14 out of its total strength of 37, including the Chief Minister.