Ex-Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy rejoins Congress
New Delhi, July 13 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday rejoined the Congress that he left in protest against the bifurcation of the state in 2014.
Reddy went to the Congress headquarters here and rejoined the party in the presence of General Secretary and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Earlier, Reddy met party President Rahul Gandhi.
Reddy was the last Chief Minister of a united Andhra Pradesh before the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014. He had succeeded K. Rosaiah as Chief Minster in 2011.
Addressing a press briefing, Kiran Reddy said: "I am very happy that I am coming back to the Congress family. Although I resigned as Chief Minister, I cannot be separated from the Congress because in my family we were MLAs for nearly 8 terms - my father and me.
"Whatever identity I have got today is because of the Congress. I was an MLA for four terms, was the Chief Whip, the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Chief Minister. In the present circumstances too, I strongly feel that the Congress should be strengthened and Rahul Gandhiji's (party President) hands should be also strengthened," he added.
"Unless, the Congress comes back to power in Delhi, justice will not be done to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana."
Chandy praised Reddy for doing "many good things" when he was the Chief Minister.
On the ‘No-confidence motion to be moved by the TDP during Parliament's monsson session, Surjewala said: "(This) will be deliberated upon by the Congress Parliamentary Party."
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We are together at home: Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar
Mumbai (PTI): Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party.
“Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least),” the veteran politician said at a press conference at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region.
He was responding to a query about the demand from “various quarters in the state” that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again.
In July last year, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state as deputy chief minister. Of late, there has been speculation over his continuation in the ruling alliance.
Asked about Ajit Pawar’s recent remarks the decision to make his wife Sunetra Pawar contest the Lok Sabha polls against Supriya Sule in Baramati was a mistake, the veteran politician said, “He is in a different party. Why should we comment on decisions taken by another party?”
Asked if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had decided its chef ministerial face, Pawar said, “I don’t think that it is an urgent issue at the moment”.
When elections were held after the Emergency, Morarji Desai’s name as PM candidate was not disclosed before polling, he added.
“Our (MVA) attempt is to give a progressive alternative in Maharashtra with help of other parties like Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party,” he said.
“Our observation is that the people of Maharashtra have made up their mind to give us (MVA) a chance in the ensuing elections,” he said.
Asked about Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that sub-standard ghee with 'animal fat' was used to make prasad laddoos at Tirupati temple during Jaganmohan Reddy's tenure as CM, Pawar said, “If anything was mixed, it is very wrong and action should be taken against those involved”.
