Hyderabad, Nov 24 (IANS) Union minister S Jaipal Reddy, state Assembly Speaker N. Kirankumar Reddy and state minister J. Geeta Reddy are among the frontrunners for the post of Andhra Pradesh chief minister following K. Rosaiah's resignation.

The new leader is likely to be elected at an emergency meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) here Wednesday evening.

Congress party sources have not ruled out that the legislators may authorise party president Sonia Gandhi to name the new leader.Senior party leaders and central ministers Pranab Mukherjee, A.K. Antony, Veerappa Moily and Ghulam Nabi Azad will be attending the CLP meet as central observers.

Jaipal Reddy, a senior leader with his vast experience as a central minister, appears to be the strong contender for the top post. The party MP, who is urban development minister, hails from Telangana.

State Minister for Information and Public Relations Geeta Reddy also comes from Telangana. The party is likely to choose someone from the region to counter the movement for separate statehood to Telangana.

The Srikrishna Committee, appointed by the centre to look into the demands for and against separate Telangana state, is scheduled to submit its report next month.

Kirankumar Reddy is also being seen as a frontrunner. The assembly speaker comes from Rayalaseema region and was considered a strong loyalist of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Union Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju and former state ministers K. Jana Reddy and M. Sashidhar Reddy, who is also the son of former chief minister M. Chenna Reddy, are among the dark horses. The two legislators also come from Telangana while Raju is from coastal Andhra.