Kiran Reddy Meets Rahul Gandhi; To Re-enter Congress Party

New Delhi, July 13 (Maxim News): The last Chief Minister of the United Andhra Pradesh state Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy has re-joined Congress party here on Friday in the presence of AICC Chief Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi returned to his residence after a meeting with party senior leaders at AICC office. By the time Rahul reached his residence, already Kiran Kumar Reddy, former Union Minister Pallam Raju, Andhra Pradesh state Congress party affairs in-charge Oomen Chandy, PCC Chief N Raghuveera Reddy were at his residence. Later, Rahul Gandhi invited Kiran by offering party Kanduva.

It may be mentioned here that there were reports during the last several days that Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was away from direct politics after the division of the state, would join Congress party again. Several Congress leaders met Kiran Kumar Reddy and supported his move. Kiran Kumar Reddy joined Congress party today heeding the pleas of some congress leaders, and putting an end to the speculation over his re-entry into Congress party. Congress party sources, however, stated that Kiran’s joining the party today was not official. Kiran was aspiring to join the party in the presence of Rahul Gandhi at a huge meeting to be organised in Andhra Pradesh state.

The Congress party, which was washed out in Andhra Pradesh state in the 2014 elections, wants to regain its base in the state after the division. As part of it, the party was thinking that Kiran Kumar Reddy’s services to the party were need of the hour, and hence the party senior leaders met him several times and urged the latter to join Congress party. After series of meetings, Kiran Kumar Reddy decided to join Congress party again. The Congress party leaders, who were stating that late YSR’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was their target, were initiating steps to corner Jagan with the joining of Kiran. The party was also contemplating to re-attract the Congress vote bank, which was now with YSRCP. It is learnt that the Congress party leaders were aiming to regain at least 15 percent of the vote bank in the coming elections. (Maxim News)