Former TDP leader and MLA Dr. S Venugopalachari filed a petition in the High Court alleging that the chief minister Kirankumar Reddy has lost eligibility to continue in the post as his government has slipped into minority. The court on Wednesday heard the arguments of senior counsel Mr Ramachandra Rao on behalf of Dr. Venugopalachari. The court adjourned further hearing on the petition till 9 November.

The petitioner, in his writ, had told the court that the ruling party's strength in the AP Legislative Assembly headed by Mr Kiran is only 143. But the required number of MLAs for formation of the government is 147. Counsel for the petitioner argued that the congress government had original strength of 156 MLAs but later the number went up to 159 as three MLAs joined it. It again went up to 175 following the merger of the PRP with the congress. "However, the number came down to 147 as 26 congress MLAs and two ministers resigned from the party," argued Ramachandra Rao, the Counsel. He said that the numbers again came down to 143 three days ago when three MLAs quit the congress party and one MLA died all of a sudden pushing the congress government into minority. The counsel also urged the court to grant an injunction restraining Mr Kiran from functioning as the CM, pending disposal of the writ petition.

Contrary to Venugopalachary's contention, the Hon'ble Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Monday categorically declared that the Congress government in the state is in a majority and the need for confidence vote doesn't arise. He even added that nobody had told him that the government has been reduced to a minority. When asked about the resignation of 26 MLAs from the Assembly, Mr Narasimhan shot back saying, "The resignations have not been accepted." Political observers say that it is all gimmicks played by the political leaders who aspire to be in limelight some way or the other. It is everybody's knowledge that as long as Speaker holds back resignations of MLAs, the Kiran Kumar government has nothing to worry about.