Senior Congress MLA from Punganur, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, on Thursday resigned from the House protesting the continuation of N Kiran Kumar Reddy as Chief Minister.

Peddireddy met Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and handed over his resignation.

A former minister and five-time MLA, Peddireddy is a known detractor of Kiran Kumar in their native Chittoor district. Kiran dropped Peddireddy from the Cabinet when he became Chief Minister in November 2010.

Peddireddy had set November 29 as deadline for the Congress high command to replace the Chief Minister. With no indication of a leadership change, Peddireddy tendered his resignation as an MLA. Already three MLAs have quit their posts and joined the YSR Congress. Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy, state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana and other senior leaders reportedly spoke to Peddireddi since yesterday and tried to prevail on him not to quit. But Peddyreddy remained steadfast and met the Speaker this morning and put in his papers.

"I have repeatedly been asking the Congress high command to replace Kiran Kumar as Chief Minister since he is totally incompetent to hold the post. But so far the high command did not take any action in this regard. Hence, I have resigned," Peddireddy told newsmen. He, however, announced he would continue in Congress. Ever since he became Chief Minister, Kiran stopped all development works in my Punganur constituency beginning with the drinking water scheme. Besides, he has been harassing my followers in the district, he alleged.

Kiran never held even a small party post in Chittoor district or in the Pradesh Congress Committee. He never served as a minister and did not have any administrative experience. He is totally incompetent and misfit to be Chief Minister, Peddireddy said.