Telangana Congress leader's wife Padmini Reddy joins BJP, returns in 10 hours
HYDERABAD: This would have been one of the shortest stints of an individual in a political party in India. Padmini Reddy, wife of senior Telangana Congress leader C Damodar Rajanarasimha, was with the Congress in the morning, joined the BJP at around noon today only to be back in the Congress a little after 9 PM.
Ms Reddy's husband C Damodar Rajanarasimha was the deputy chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in the Congress government headed by N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He is presently the in-charge of the party's manifesto committee for the Telangana elections.
Given Mr Rajanarasimha's seniority, Ms Reddy's shift to the BJP was an embarrassment for the Congress. Naturally, the BJP considered her a prize catch and she was welcomed into the party by top leaders like Telangana BJP president K Laxman and BJP national general secretary V Muralidhar Rao.
Soon after Ms Reddy joined the BJP, Mr Rao tweeted pictures of her induction and wrote, "Impressed by the work of PM Narendra Modi ji, senior Congress leader Smt Padmini Reddy joined BJP today in Hyderabad (Telangana)".
Telangana BJP president K Laxman claimed that Ms Reddy had joined the party as she was impressed by the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi had worked towards empowering women, especially by appointing women in key positions.
"Padmini Reddy has made a name for herself with her social work in Medak region, especially among women...Her joining the BJP will strengthen the party," he further said.
However, the BJP's joy proved to be short-lived. By late evening, Ms Reddy went back to the Congress. She said that she decided to return as "party workers were feeling hurt" with her departure.
An embarrassed BJP tried to save face by saying that the party "respects Padmini Reddy's decision".
"Padmini Reddy is an educated and well-informed woman. BJP is a party which respects and believes in women's empowerment. When she approached BJP to join and work for the party, certainly we couldn't have asked her to get her husband's permission. We respect Padmini Reddy's decision either way. This only exemplifies BJP's respect for women," Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao wrote on Twitter.
Voting will take place in all the 119 constituencies of Telangana on December 7.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
