Kiran Reddy may take a call to quit

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy Thursday said he would take a decision on resigning after consultations with his cabinet colleagues, MPs and other Congress leaders from Seemandhra.

With the central government tabling the Telangana bill in parliament, the chief minister said consultations were on over the issue of resignation.

Kiran Reddy, who is strongly opposed to state's bifurcation, had earlier indicated he would resign if the Telangana bill was tabled in parliament.

In an informal chat with reporters, he termed Thursday's incidents in Lok Sabha as "unfortunate". The chief minister said if the bill rejected by the state legislature was tabled in parliament in the same format, it would be rejected.

The chief minister, who is believed to have told his confidants that he will be launching a new political party soon, said there was nothing more important that keeping the state united.

On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reported statement that his heart bled to see the disruptions in parliament, Kiran Reddy wanted to know why he was not moved on seeing crores of bleeding hearts in Seemandhra.'