New Delhi | Former Congress leader and last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the BJP on Friday, lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and slamming his earlier organisation's leadership for "damaging" it across the country.
Reddy joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and hit out at the Congress "high command", an apparent reference to the Gandhi family, for its inability to accept people's verdict and make a course correction. This is the reason why he has left the party, he said.
"My king is very intelligent. He does not think on his own and he does not listen to anyone's advice," he cited a saying to attack his former leaders.
They believe they are correct and all others, including the people of India, are wrong, he said, accusing them of being unable to analyse repeated electoral failures of the party.
They want authority to control but don't want to work hard or take any responsibility, said the four-time former MLA, who had quit the Congress last month.
Citing his family's over seven-decade-long association with the Congress, Reddy said he never imagined he will leave the party.
The Congress is getting damaged in all states and its high command does not interact with others or consider their opinion, he said.
Reddy contrasted the rise of the BJP with the decline of the Congress since 1984 and lauded the ruling party's leaders led by Modi for their hardwork and commitment towards the nation and its development.
The talk of BJP now brings to the formandaviya covid meetinge ideas like nation-building in people's mind, he said. Its leadership has clarity of thought and consistency, and taking courageous decision is the hallmark of the government, he said.
Reddy also lauded Modi's commitment to fighting corruption.
With their lack of interaction with people and leaders, the Congress leadership invariably picks wrong people for different jobs, he said.
Joshi expressed confidence that Reddy's joining will boost the party in Andhra Pradesh, where it remains a marginal force, and also in Telangana, which was carved out of the state in 2014 when Reddy was the undivided state's chief minister.
Opposed to the state's division, he had quit the Congress and formed his own party which failed at the hustings. He rejoined the Congress in 2018.
Though Reddy is not really seen as a very influential leader in the state, the BJP believes that his experience and profile will bring heft to its organisation there.
Amaravati | I never imagined I would have to leave the Congress party, longtime party leader and United Andhra Pradesh's last chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said on joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi on Friday.
Reminiscing about his association with the Congress, Reddy said his family had been with the party since 1952, with both his father Amarnath Reddy and himself being four-time MLAs.
“Unfortunately, what has happened is, in state after state, due to bad decisions and wrong decisions of the Congress high command, the party is getting damaged totally in all the states,” the former chief minister said, speaking to reporters after joining the BJP. He noted that the Congress' top leadership did not interact with the people or take opinions of the leaders, which was not uncommon but ran through all the states.
Commenting on the state of affairs in the Congress, Reddy compared the party led by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi to the rule of "an intelligent king who neither thinks on his own nor listens to anybody's advice".
“I think you understood what I meant. They want authority to control but they don't want to work hard. They don't want responsibilities,” said Reddy.
According to the former chief minister, this lack of interest shown by the Congress leadership has resulted in them not knowing the characteristics of any given leader in their party and what job to entrust them going forward.
Doling out advice, he said that anyone who loses or wins elections should do a reality check on whether they are doing the right thing or were doing things the wrong way.
Earlier, introducing him, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi dubbed Reddy "an important leader from South India".
Joshi recollected that Reddy had been the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the chief whip and the chief minister at a very ‘crucial time' in the history of the southern state, referring to the 2014 bifurcation of united AP into Telangana and AP.
“Reddy is a good cricketer also. He opened his innings in the Congress and now after closing that innings…he opened a new innings. And I know he will score and bat very well,” Joshi said.
Joshi said he met Reddy at an airport some months ago when the latter told him that he was influenced by the personality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He asserted that Reddy would be a big strength to the BJP in AP even as the former CM promised to tour extensively and organise the party in the state.
A former protégé of Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, Kiran Kumar Reddy had tried his luck by launching his own Samaikyandhra Party after the bifurcation of AP but could not taste political success.
Succeeding Konijeti Rosaiah, Kiran Kumar Reddy had emerged as a surprise choice when he was appointed as the chief minister of the united state.
After several years away from politics, Reddy has now joined the BJP.