Andhra minister quits over Congress defeat

A senior cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh today sent his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, owning moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the by-elections.

A senior cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday sent his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, owning moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the by-elections.

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A day after the ruling party drew a blank in seven assembly seats, health minister Ravindra Reddy told reporters that he had sent his resignation to the party chief.

None of the seven seats fall under Ravindra Reddy's Kadapa district. His resignation is seen as an attempt to mount pressure on chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Ravindra Reddy had Wednesday demanded that the chief minister and the entire cabinet should immediately send their resignation to Sonia Gandhi.

He had asked both Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana to own up responsibility for the defeat.

Ravindra Reddy has been sulking ever since he was divested of medical education and other portfolios.