ecks are being cleared to induct the former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, into the BJP. A party source said the issue was discussed during BJP president Amit Shah's visit to Hyderabad last week. "It is under active consideration by the party. However, a formal announcement will be made after modalities of the induction are worked out," he said.

Another round of discussion is expected to be held when Shah visits Vijaywada and Hyderabad again in the last week of January. The formal induction of the former Congress leader can be held during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally, which is being planned in February or March.

The BJP hopes that welcoming Reddy into the party fold will help consolidate BJP's base in the Rayalseema region. The source said, Reddy is in touch with other leaders and ex-leaders from the Congress who can join the BJP along with him. The others who are also said to be in touch with BJP leaders include B. Satyanarayan, L. Rajgopal and Rajgopal Reddy.

Sources said Kiran Kumar Reddy's options are limited. If he returns to Congress he will be committing political suicide as the party has no future in the state. On the other hand, joining BJP, which is planning to consolidate its base in the South in a big way, can provide him with enough opportunity. The party will also benefit as it will get a face in the region, so it will be a win-win situation for both.

Reddy was in the Congress before resigning from it in February last year, in protest against the creation of Telangana state. He also resigned from the CM's post at that time. In March last year, he floated a new party called Jai Samaikyandhra Party.

BJP president Amit Shah, during his last week's visit to Hyderabad as part of his two-day tour of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, had called for an aggressive membership drive in AP. He asked partymen to enrol at least 100 members in every polling station and set a total target of 45 lakh members across the state through the drive.

Shah is on a mission to expand the party's base across the country and many big faces have started joining the party. Apart from former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, who joined BJP in Delhi this week, a Minister in the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, Manjul Krishna Thakur, too joined the saffron brigade. Earlier, a former Union Minister and Tamil actor Napoleon deserted the DMK to join the BJP in Tamil Nadu.