Kiran opts out of race

• Former CM to concentrate on JSP campaign
• To pursue case filed in SC against bifurcation

In a sudden development, former Chief Minister and founder-president of Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) N Kiran Kumar Reddy announced that he was opting out of contesting the elections. At a road show here on Saturday, Kiran said that he had decided not to contest the elections this time so as to focus on the party’s campaign across the State and also concentrate on the case filed in the apex court against the division of the State. Kiran accompanied his brother Kishan Kumar Reddy alias Kishore Kumar Reddy (who had already filed his nomination for Piler Assembly on Thursday) for submitting his B form to the returning officer here on Saturday. Later, he conducted the road show.

Thanking the people of Piler for their support to the Nallari family, he urged them to extend the same support to Kishore Kumar Reddy to win the elections with a huge margin. He said it was his brother who had been looking after the constituency when he was busy with his work as Chief Minister. Kiran assured the Piler voters that he, along with his brother, would continue to render the services to the constituency. He claimed that the JSP had given tickets only to those who had a clean image and played an active role in the Samaikyandhra movement. He called upon the people to elect the JSP candidates to enable the party continue to work for the cause of Samaikyandhra Pradesh.