Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister veteran Congress leader Kiran Kumar Reddy has resigned from the party and is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to reports.

According to a March 11 letter—the last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh before Telangana was carved out in 2014—addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Reddy has asked for resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.

Earlier in 2014, Kiran Kumar Reddy had resigned from the Congress to protest the UPA-II’s decision of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh and carve out Telangana. The former CM had formed his own political party, Jai Samaikyandhra Party and fielded candidates in some constituencies in the 2014 elections. However, with no electoral gains, Reddy stayed aloof from politics for a long time and rejoined the Congress in 2018.

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In a sharp reaction to Reddy’s resignation, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said those who got everything from the party and finished the Andhra Pradesh Congress are now leaving for greener pastures at the BJP.

Reports quoting sources within the BJP have speculated that former Andhra Pradesh CM is likely to join the BJP’s Telangana unit.

Reddy had reportedly maintained a distance from Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and has been on the outs with the party for a long time.

Pundits say that Reddy could play a vital role in this year’s Telangana elections as he has good ties with several top leaders of Telangana from his time as the chief minster of Andhra Pradesh. Reddy’s deep insight into Telangana politics could play a key role in BJP’s poll campaign in the state.

Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Telangana in December this year, and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay, in an earlier statement, said that the saffron party will not form any alliances in the state and contest solo in the polo.

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The relatives of an Engineering student who reportedly committed suicide inside his hostel room in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, staged a protest against the college management and vandalized the institution’s furniture on Sunday.

Dhaneswara Reddy, 21, allegedly committed suicide inside his hostel room on Saturday. Reddy, a second-year computer science engineering student at Narayana Engineering College in Tirupati district’s Gudur town, was found hanging in his hostel room, reports said.

The deceased student was a resident of Pulivendula in YSR Kadapa district.

According to the police, the hostel warden learned about the incident and suffered a cardiac arrest due to the shock. Srinivasulu Naidu, the 57-year-old warden was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed.

Reports said that fellow students spotted Dharaneswar’s body hanging in his room at night and informed the warden who collapsed on the spot due to a heart attack and was rushed to a hospital by the hostel staff where he passed away.

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Demanding answers, Dharaneswar’s parents staged a protest against the college authorities, accusing them of conspiracy to cover up their son’s alleged suicide. They also wrecked college property during their protest.

According to reports, Students’ unions and the Parents association of Andhra Pradesh have accused the college management of putting undue pressure on Dharaneswara, however, the college has refuted the allegations claiming that the deceased suffered from family issues.

The boy’s parents, who refuted the claims and blamed the college for his death, reached the institution on Sunday morning where they went into their son’s room first and then went on to wreck college college furniture, canteen furniture and smash window panes with stones.

A police team arrived at the scene and soothed the enraged parents while promising a thorough probe into the incident.

An official said a case has been registered and investigation is underway.

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The BJP has announced the party’s list of candidates for the upcoming bye-polls in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

On Wednesday, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) revealed the list of candidates for upcoming elections in the two states. According to the list, Tsering Lhamu will contest from Arunachal Pradesh’s Lumla (ST) seat and Dilip Saha from West Bengal’s Sagardighi seat.

The Election Commission in January announced the schedule for the bye-elections to six assembly seats across five states; one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and two assembly constituencies in Maharashtra.

Besides, the parliamentary constituency of Lakshadweep will also vote in bypolls on February 27.

Lumla constituency seat was vacant after the death of BJP leader Jambey Tashi and Ramgarh seat in Jharkhand was vacated by Congress leader Mamta Devi after being disqualified.

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Similarly, Lakshadweep’s parliamentary constituency will go to the polls due to the disqualification of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mohammed Faizal PP.

The demise of Congress leader Thiru E Thirumahan Everaa and Trinamool Congress (TMC)leader Subrata Saha led to seats of Erode in Tamil Nadu (east) and Sagardighi in West Bengal being vacated respectively.

Similarly, deaths of BJP leaders Mukta Shailesh Tilak and Laxman Pandurang Jagtap necessitated elections in Maharashtra’s Kasba Peth and Chinchwad respectively.

The votes will be counted on March 2. The last date for filing for nominations is February 7, the nominations will be scrutinized on February 8 while February 10 has been set as last date for withdrawal of candidatures.

The EC also announced the schedule for Assembly elections in northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland to be held in February-March this year. The results of all three states will be declared on March 2, 2023.

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