Kiran Kumar Reddy not contesting elections to ‘show dislike for posts’

Hyderabad /Tirupati: In an anti-climax, former chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy opted out of the elections. On Saturday, he fielded his brother Kishore Kumar Reddy from his Piler Assembly seat on behalf of the Jai Samaikyandhra Party.

This makes Mr Kiran Reddy the only outgoing CM who did not contest the elections. The surprise was all the more because he had lavished attention on Piler.

“I have decided to take up a whirlwind campaign across the state, I am not interested in posts. This was seen when I stepped down as CM when the state was divided. That was the reason I took the decision not to contest," he told this newspaper over phone from Piler.

Mr reddy also said that one day the people would realise that he fought to keep Andhra Pradesh united, and as a leader who was not interested in posts.

“There is a strategy behind the move,” Mr Lagadapati Rajagopal, close friend of the former chief minister said.

“Yesterday we had discussed the issue and Mr Reddy told us he would not be contesting this election. He is not for power or posts, he is for a cause and he also needs to campaign for the candidates across the state."

On Saturday, Mr Reddy went to Piler along with his brother and till Mr Kishore Reddy handed over the papers to the Returning Officer, even their close associates had no inkling that the former Chief Minister had dropped out.