Kiran Reddy mulls new party with expelled MPs

Andhra Pradesh caretaker chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday held talks with six MPs expelled from the Congress and state ministers loyal to him to chalk out his future course of action.

 

Kiran Reddy, who last week resigned as chief minister and from the Congress to protest the bifurcation of the state, discussed his reported plans to float a new political party in the Seemandhra region. 

L Rajagopal, Sabbam Hari, V Arun Kumar, Sai Pratap, Harsha Kumar and R Sambasiva Rao, who were expelled from the Congress for moving a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the UPA government, attended the meeting. 

State ministers S Sailajanath, P Satyanarayana and Parthasarthi were also present at the meeting. 

Kiran Reddy resigned as chief minister and quit the Congress after the Lok Sabha passed the bill for formation of a Telangana state. He alleged that the Congress had done grave injustice to Telugu-speaking people. 

Governor ESL Narasimhan has accepted Kiran Reddy’s resignation and asked him to continue as caretaker chief minister. 

The Congress has not yet taken a decision whether to name a new chief minister or impose President’s rule. 

The central government is likely to issue in a couple of days a gazette notification for formation of Telangana and the successor state of Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, following the passage of Telangana bill in Parliament, the residual state of Andhra Pradesh is now facing the task of choosing a new capital city with various leaders pitching for their regions.

TG Venkatesh, minor irrigation minister in the outgoing Kiran Kumar Reddy government, said Kurnool should be the capital of the new Andhra Pradesh. Venkatesh hails from Kurnool district.