VIJAYAWADA: Former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy rejoined the Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday. Accompanied by APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy, AICC general secretary and AP Congress in-charge Oommen Chandy, party leader M Pallam Raju and others, he met Rahul Gandhi and formally rejoined the party.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Kiran Kumar Reddy said he was happy to be back in the party. “My very identity as a politician and that of my family was because of the Congress. I was an MLA, Chief Whip, Assembly Speaker and Chief Minister, it was all due to the Congress. My father was a Congressman and I am a Congressman. I will strive to strengthen Congress and the hands of Rahul Gandhi, for the benefit of the State,” he said.
Kiran Reddy said Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will get justice only when the Congress comes back to power at the Centre. The former Chief Minister said special category status, special incentives, development of backward districts in Rayalaseema and north Andhra and implementation of provisions of AP Reorganisation Act and promises made on the floor of Rajya Sabha can only be possible when the Congress comes back to power.
He alleged that the Central and State governments and the Opposition in the State have miserably failed in ensuring justice to the people of Andhra Pradesh.
Asked what position he was expecting, he replied he will do the party’s bidding. On bringing back those, who left the Congress, he said the party is in talks with several leaders and expecting a positive outcome. “We are in talks with 35 to 40 former MLAs and other leaders who held different positions in the party. We are expecting them to rejoin the Congress soon,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Oommen Chandy said as CM, Kiran Kumar Reddy contributed a lot to the State’s development, particularly for the welfare of SCs and STs.