Kiran is said to be keen on protecting his colleague, who holds the Roads and Buildings portfolio, from the CBI, in Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's disproportionate assets case.
He is said to be in no mood to accept Dharmana's resignation any time soon and leave him "exposed". The CM reportedly gave this indication when a few Ministers met him this morning upon his return from a two-day trip to New Delhi.
"Let the (Special CBI) Court admit the chargesheet (naming Dharmana) first. We will see the Court's reaction and then decide whether or not to accept the resignation. We are also taking legal opinion on this," Kiran reportedly told his Cabinet colleagues.
Also, the chief minister would like to seek Dharmana's version before according sanction to the CBI's request for the latter's prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"If the Minister's resignation is accepted, the CBI will have a free hand to prosecute him. The chief minister does not want this. That's the reason he is keeping Dharmana's resignation on hold," a Minister said after meeting Kiran.
Incidentally, the Congress high command had put the ball into Kiran's court after he sought its "guidance" on the resignation issue.
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The chief minister declined to give any reply when reporters asked him today about Dharmana's resignation.
Dharmana submitted his resignation to the CM on August 14, a day after CBI named him as the fifth accused in the Vanpic Project land allotment scandal, which is part of the ongoing probe into the assets case against Jagan. (MORE)