Sources said the minister of state for power has resigned from the Union council of ministers to devote time exclusively to the Congress's publicity campaign for the upcoming elections. Ramesh is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh.

When contacted, Ramesh confirmed that he has put in his papers, and said he met Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] and she agreed with his appraisal that he won't be able to devote time to the Congress's publicity campaign given his ministerial responsibilities. Ramesh said his resignation letter has been forwarded to the Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images] for acceptance, and a formal communique will be issued shortly