Former MLA Rakesh Kalia returns to Congress after a brief stint in BJP
He joined the BJP in 2022 after being denied a Congress ticket to contest the Assembly elections from Gagret in Himachal Pradesh.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday welcomed N Kiran Kumar Reddy back into the party fold. Reddy, who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh before its bifurcation, called on Gandhi in New Delhi a day after reaching the national capital.
The two leaders shook hands and posed for photographs after the completion of official formalities related to the induction of the 57-year-old Reddy.
Reddy, a four-time MLA, resigned from the post of CM on 19 February 2014 in protest of the formation of Telangana. That same year, Reddy floated his own party, Jai Samaikyandhra Party, and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections albeit unsuccessfully.
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According to reports, Reddy’s return was a result of talks that started two months ago and comes a month after the appointment of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as the Congress in charge of Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy is a known rival of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Reports say that Reddy is keen on becoming the Congress general secretary.
There is no clarity on whether the other Congress leaders who left the party to join Reddy will return to the party fold.
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