BJP Ministers In AP Submit Resignations

The two BJP ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet - Kamineni Srinivas (Medical and Health) and P Manikyala Rao (Endowments) - stayed away from the cabinet meeting this morning that began in Amaravathi to formally approve the budget, and submitted their resignations to the Chief Minister at the instance of the BJP high command.

Today's development comes after the Telugu Desam Party last night announced its decision to pull out of the Narendra Modi government in protest against Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, and claiming that the Centre had done injustice to the residual state.

Speaking to mediapersons after handing over their resignation letters to Naidu, Srinivas and Rao expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for giving them a chance to serve the people as ministers.

Srinivas said that Naidu was steering the residual state on the path of development. Kamineni, too, said that Naidu was indispensable for the state's development, had lent utmost cooperation to him.

Receiving their resignation letters, the Chief Minister, too, reciprocated the decorum, praising the two for discharging their duties as ministers with responsibility and moral values.