The Congress suffered a major jolt Wednesday when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Reddy resigned and also dumped the Congress to protest against the state's break up.

 

 

 After announcing his decision to the media, Kiran Reddy drove to the Raj Bhavan and submitted his resignation to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.

 

 He urged the governor to make alternate arrangements at the earliest as he would not like to continue as caretaker chief minister.

 

 "I am resigning from the post of the chief minister, as MLA (legislator) and also from the Congress party," he told reporters in the company of his cabinet colleagues and legislators.

 

 He accused the Congress of doing grave njustice to the Telugu speaking people by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

 

 He lashed out at the Congress for violating all constitutional provisions and for pushing through the bill in parliament in an "undemocratic" manner.

 

 Kiran Reddy blamed all political parties for the division.

 

 Kiran Reddy, however, thanked the Congress for making him the chief minister, a post he held for over three years. He said his family served the Congress since 1962 and fought 12 elections.

 

 "My future is not important," he said when asked if he would be floating a new political party.