After quitting Congress, ex-Andhra Pradesh CM Kiran Reddy joins BJP
After quitting Congress last month, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy (62) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. Reddy hails from the Rayalaseema region and reportedly enjoys considerable influence there. The decision is expected to strengthen the BJP's foothold in the region and the party could also project him as the CM candidate for the state Assembly elections next year.
Why does this story matter?
Reddy's switch comes at a time when the BJP is trying to emerge as the third alternative in the state amid a tussle between the ruling YSR Congress Party and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Notably, Reddy was the last CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh. He resigned from the Congress in 2014 and formed his own party, only to return in 2018.
Reddy has a very clean image: Prahlad Joshi
Reddy, citing his family's six-decade association with the Congress, said he "never imagined" he would leave the party as BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi inducted him in Delhi. "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.
Reddy took a dig at Congress
He said that his association with Congress began with his family in 1952, and his father was a four-time MLA. In a veiled dig at the Congress, Reddy said, "There is a saying, 'My king is very intelligent, he doesn't think on his own, doesn't listen to anyone's advice'." He attributed his decision to "bad decisions" by Congress, which were "damaging all the states."
Reddy accuses Congress of ignoring party leaders' opinions
In addition, he claimed that the Congress's leadership was disconnected from the public and did not consider the opinions of party leaders. Reddy reportedly felt marginalized within the Congress as his repeated requests for a higher position within the party were ignored. Notably, during the 2019 General Elections, he remained inactive and also refrained from participating in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
