Former Kerala Chief Minister and AICC in-charge for Andha Pradesh, Oommen Chandy called on former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Kiran Kumar Reddy at his residence on Sunday and invited him to join the party.
Mr. Chandy was accompanied by former Union Minister Pallam Raju and their meeting assumed significance in the light of speculation that Mr. Reddy would come back to the Congress party that he left after the State was bifurcated. The meeting went on for over an hour.
Later, Mr. Chandy spoke to the media persons and said the party has invited him but the final decision has to be taken by Mr. Reddy only. “The decision is up to him,” he said. The nation was passing through a crucial time and AICC president Rahul Gandhi had invited all former Congressmen to join back to strengthen the party.
Mr. Reddy refused to answer queries from the media and said he would talk when the time comes but the tone and tenor sounded as though he was soft on the Congress and may take a positive decision. “I will definitely call you when the time comes,” he said.
Opposed bifurcation
Mr. Reddy, who is the last Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh vehemently opposed the bifurcation much to embarassment of the Congress high command that conceded to people’s demand for a separate Telangana. He left the party after the State was bifurcated and launched Jai Samaikyandhra Party without any success. In the last four years he kept himself away from politics though there were rumours that the BJP was trying to woo him.