Kiran Kumar Reddy to be sworn in as AP CM today

Hyderabad: Kiran Kumar Reddy will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday after incumbent K Rosaiah resigned on Wednesday in a surprise move.

The Congress high command decided on Kiran Kumar Reddy to assume the top post in what is seen as an attempt to checkmate rebel Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, a four-time MLA and YSR loyalist, is the son of late Congress leader Amarnath Reddy, who was considered the political guru of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.

On a day of fast-paced developments, 77-year-old Rosaiah, the stop-gap Chief Minister who took over in the aftermath of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's death in September last year, resigned citing health reasons.

Hours later, the Congress Legislature Party met and authorised party chief Sonia Gandhi, who named Kiran Reddy, currently Speaker of the Assembly, to succeed Rosaiah.

"I thank Sonia Gandhi for giving me the opportunity," Reddy said, adding that he will try his best to implement late Andhra CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's policy in the state.

Senior Congress minister Veerappa Moily has said the Deputy Chief Minister will be from Telangana region. Geetha Reddy is the front-runner for the Deputy CM post.

After a brief meeting of the CLP, which authorised Gandhi to choose the new Chief Minister, top Congress emissaries Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony, Veerappa Moily and Ghulam Nabi Azad met and discussed the issue with the Congress President.

"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has selected Kiran Kumar Reddy as the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party," Mukherjee said in a brief statement.

50-year-old Reddy who hails from Rayalaseema region will have his task cut out.

His appointment is seen as Congress' political management ahead of the submission of the report by December 31 on the sensitive separate statehood issue by the Justice B N Srikrishna panel.

But the biggest challenge for Kiran Kumar Reddy could be his mentor the late YSR Reddy's son Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The late Chief Minister's son has made no secret of his ambition to be Chief Minister - but Kiran Kumar Reddy's robust performance as Speaker and his influence in Rayalaseema seems to have ensured he got the top job.