Andhra Pradesh's caretaker Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy continued consultations with his loyalists for a second day Monday on floating a new political party.Some legislators of ruling Congress met Kiran Reddy, who resigned last week as chief minister and also from the party to protest the state's bifurcation.He reportedly told them that the central government insulted Telugu-speaking people and unable to bear this insult he decided to form a new party. "The way Congress handled the whole issue hurt sentiments of people," a leader quoted him as saying.Kiran Reddy also claimed that central leaders of Congress were still in touch with him.
According to sources close to Kiran Reddy, he may launch a new party in two or three days.Senior leaders J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Gade Venkat Reddy and Pitani Satyanarayana were among those who met him.Kiran Reddy Sunday held consultations with six MPs, who were expelled from Congress recently for moving a no-confidence motion against the government in parliament over the Telangana issue.Meanwhile, Congress general secretary incharge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh told reporters in New Delhi that Kiran Reddy's functioning was laudable, except on the issue of Telangana. "Mr Kiran Reddy did not act as a statesman," he said.He recalled that Kiran Reddy was unanimously elected as leader by legislators from both Seemandhra and Telangana.pijaya noted that Kiran Reddy was a loyalist Congress leader and came from the family of very old loyalist and respected leader of the party. His father was a minister in the state.