Sonia will decide CM, Telengana: YSR

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy says the Congress high command will decide whether its ally the Telengana Rashtra Samithi will share power and also on issues like a separate Telengana state and who the chief minister will be.

An elated Reddy, who spearheaded the Congress campaign against the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party government, said "the Congress Legislature Party will meet and decide on the chief ministership, not me. The high command will give proper guidance for it."

He was replying to a question whether he would be the next chief minister since the Congress is headed for a majority on its own in the 294-member Andhra Pradesh assembly.

Asked about the TRS demand for a separate Telengana state, he said, "all these things will be decided by the high command. We will have to wait for some more time."

Reddy said the party expected the Congress-led alliance to get about 220 seats, surpassing even exit poll results. He said the Congress Legislature Party would meet on Wednesday or in the next two or three days and decide who will be the state's next chief minister.

Asked whether the Congress victory was due to an anti-incumbency factor against the TDP, which has ruled Andhra Pradesh for nine years, Reddy agreed, but added it was also due to the electorate's confidence in Congress President Sonia Gandhi's leadership.