Former Minister Kishore Chandra Deo Quits Congress, Could Join TDP

Former Minister Kishore Chandra Deo quits Congress

Panchayati Raj Ministry

Former Union Minister and five-time MP V Kishore Chandra Deo has resigned from the Congress, in what is being seen as a blow to the party in Andhra Pradesh. Deo sent his a one-line resignation to Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, 3 February.

Deo, who was the minister for Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj, was among the most senior Congress leaders in Andhra Pradesh as well as one of its most prominent tribal faces nationally. He was elected twice from Andhra Pradesh’s Araku constituency that is reserved for Scheduled Tribes and on three occasions from its pre-delimitation version Parvathipuram. He hails from the royal family of Araku and is from the Konda Dora community.

Upset At Congress’ Style of Functioning?

Deo is said to have been upset with the Congress’ style of functioning, particularly in Andhra Pradesh. In an interview to Press Trust of India soon after the Congress’ defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Deo had said that the party was being run by “rootless wonders and spineless creepers”.

In his interview, he had said that the party should have implemented the internal reforms Rahul Gandhi had promised on becoming the party’s vice-president in 2013.

He had also criticised the party for mishandling Andhra Pradesh affairs, especially how it conceded space to YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSRCP.

It is being speculated that Deo could join Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party and contest the Lok Sabha elections from Araku. The seat was won by Kothapalli Geetha of the YSRCP. Even at the Assembly level, six out of seven Assembly segments are held by the YSRCP and only one by the TDP. Deo’s entry could help the TDP’s prospects in the area.