Hyderabad/New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana is the new president of the Congress' Andhra Pradesh unit, the party announced Monday.

 
 It was immediately not clear if he will continue as a minister.
 
 Botsa, who comes from Vizianagaram district in north coastal Andhra, succeeds D. Srinivas, a leader from Telangana.
 
 His appointment as Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief is significant as he had once said that he was not against the demand for separate statehood to the Telangana region.
 
 Talking to reporters in New Delhi after his name was announced as the new PCC chief, Botsa said he would abide by the decision of the party’s central leadership on the Telangana issue.
 
 He said he was happy over the new assignment. “I will try to discharge my responsibility and live up to the expectations of the party president,” he said.
 
 Botsa promised to strengthen the party by taking all sections with him.
 
 The 53-year-old leader has been a minister since 2004. He served as minister of industries and later as minister for panchayat raj in the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet.
 
 Botsa, who was an MP from 1999 to 2004, became active in state politics at instance of Rajasekhara Reddy and was elected from Cheepurupalli assembly constituency for two consecutive terms. His wife, Botsa Jhansi Lakshmi currently represents Vizianagaram Lok Sabha constituency.