BJP vice-president Aruna rules out return to Congress

Hyderabad, Oct 26

BJP national vice-president D. K. Aruna on Thursday denied that she is planning to return to the Congress party.

She made it clear that there is no question of switching loyalties to the Congress party.

The former minister alleged that the Congress is playing mind games.

Aruna said the BJP leadership recognised her by appointing her the national vice-president of the party.

She considers working under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership a good fortune.

The BJP leader was reacting to reports that she too was also planning a return to Congress after former MLA and BJP national executive member Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy quit the party.

Raj Gopal Reddy on Wednesday quit the BJP and announced that he will soon join the Congress.

He had resigned from Congress and Assembly membership last year to join BJP.

He contested the by-election in Munugode constituency on a BJP ticket but could not retain the seat.

Some key leaders from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP defected to the Congress party during the last couple of months.

Aruna had quit Congress to join the BJP on the eve of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The party fielded her from Mahabubnagar but she lost to Manne Srinivas Reddy of TRS (now BRS).

In 2020, she was appointed as the national vice-president of the BJP.

She had served as a minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh in the cabinets of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and K. Rosaiah.

Meanwhile, another BJP leader and former MP G. Vivek Venkatswamy has also denied that he is planning to quit BJP and join Congress.

He said he would remain in BJP and will contest next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

Viveka has switched loyalties multiple times.

He quit TRS in 2019 after the party denied him ticket for Lok Sabha elections. He was with Congress before joining TRS in 2013.

He returned to Congress in 2014 and contested the elections from Peddapalli Lok Sabha seat. However, he suffered a crushing defeat.

In 2016, he returned to TRS but again quit the party in 2019 to join the BJP.