Decision on President's rule likely on Friday

The Union Cabinet will take a call tomorrow on imposition of President's rule in Andhra Pradesh as Governor E S L Narasimhan has recommended for a spell of central rule after the resignation of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The issues of political situation in Andhra Pradesh and proclamation under Article 356 (1) are part of the Cabinet's agenda for tomorrow. As Andhra Pradesh is set to be bifurcated, Congress, which has been ruling the state for last 10 years, is unlikely to chose another candidate to succeed Reddy, who quit as an MLA as well as from the party protesting against the decision to create Telangana.

However, it is immediately not clear whether Narasimhan has recommended for dissolution of the state Assembly or to keep the House under suspended animation. The bill to create the country's 29th state, by splitting Andhra Pradesh, was passed by Parliament in the just-concluded Winter session.

A number of ruling Congress MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have announced resignation from their posts and also from the party over the issue of division.

- PTI