E-Paper
‘My kings is...’: Kiran Kumar Reddy hits at out Congress after joining BJP
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said the bad decisions of the Congress leadership was the main reason why the party was losing its footprint in states
The last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, just weeks after the four-time Congress MLA sent a one-line resignation letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Soon after his induction to the BJP, Reddy hit out at the Congress high command, alleging that they did not consider the opinion of party leaders. He said the party was getting “damaged in all states“ and noted that he had never imagined he would leave the Congress.
“There is an old saying my king is very intelligent, he doesn’t think on his own, and he doesn’t listen to anyone’s advice,” Reddy said, taking a swipe at the Congress leadership. He further said that the “bad decisions” of the Congress leadership was the main reason why the party was losing its footprint in other states.
However, this is not the first time Reddy has resigned from the Congress. He had quit the party in 2014 after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and formed his own party Jai Samaikyandhra. He later rejoined the Congress in 2018 but mostly remained politically inactive.However, he was mostly inactive in the 2019 general elections and remained absent during the Bharat Jodo Yatra when it was passing through Andhra Pradesh. It was being speculated that Reddy was soon going to jump ships to join the saffron party’s Telangana unit.
His joining ceremony was held at the BJP headquarters in Delhi where Union minister Prahlad Joshi, party’s national general secretary Arun Singh and OBC Morcha national president K. Laxman were present.
“Many members of Kiran Kumar Reddy’s family were in the Congress. When I met him some time ago, he told me that he was influenced by PM Modi. Today he is taking a big leap and joining the BJP. He will strengthen our fight against corruption because his image as an MLA and minister has been very clean. It will be a big boost for the BJP in Andhra Pradesh,” Joshi said during Reddy’s induction to the party.
Congress veteran A K Antony’s son Anil Antony, who left the Congress to join the BJP on Sunday, welcomed Reddy to the saffron party. “Welcome Kiran Kumar Reddy ji to the @BJP4India! Glad you have also joined the organization that is working for India’s core national interests and for public interests without prejudice and bias. How many more should say that the emperor has no clothes before the grand royals realize ?” he said in a tweet.
“Another NPA (Non-performing asset?!) goes to BJP,” Congress MP Manickam Tagore tweeted soon after Reddy’s induction to the BJP.
