Kiran Reddy forms new party

To declare name, policies and other details at a rally in Rajahmundry on March 12

Ending the suspense on his political future, former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today announced a new political party backed by half a dozen MPs, who were expelled from the Congress party.

“The new party will be committed to safeguard and protect the interests and the self-respect of Telugu people from forces inimical to their growth. Our party would contest in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh,” he said while stating that the people of Seemandhra are not willing to vote for any of the existing political parties for their role in the division of the state.

It may be recalled that Kiran Reddy had resigned from the post of chief minister and from the Congress party in protest against the state bifurcation on February 19, the day after the AP Reorganisaton Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.  

The name, policies and other details of the new political entity would be declared at a rally to be held in the coastal town of Rajahmundry on March 12, he said.

Kiran accused the Congress and the BJP of coming together to hurt the interests of Telugu people by dividing the state.  Both the regional parties — TDP headed by N Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy — backed the move to become chief ministers in the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

“No Telugu person worth his salt would ever vote for the existing political parties for what they have done to them. Therefore, we have come together to form a political party that will work only according to the wishes of its people,” Kiran Reddy said.

Responding to a question on the accusation made by a former Cabinet colleague on Wednesday that he was launching the party only to protect himself from the likely investigations into his corruption in government, Reddy challenged his detractors to prove their allegations.

On instructions issued by the Governor to scrutinise his decisions during the last three months in office, he countered by saying it was not Governor’s business to scrutinise the decisions and the future elected government is free to investigate any of his decisions.

“In fact, you do not know several of my decision that saved so much of public money. I cancelled the sale of Nizam Sugars, which was sold in 2002 by the N Chandrababu Naidu government. I cancelled the  land allotted to a thermal power project in Sompet in Srikakulam district. I did many things that saved the public exchequer. I am clean and not afraid of any inquiries,” he said.