Hyderabad, Oct 13 (Inditop.com) The leadership issue in Andhra Pradesh is back to the fore and loyalists of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan met the young MP for the second consecutive day Tuesday.
Jagan’s loyalists included ministers, MPs, legislators and ruling Congress party leaders. Among the ministers who called on him were Manikya Varaprasad and Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, who had been openly demanding that Jaganmohan Reddy be made the chief minister.
Jagan’s camp, which was lying low ever since the party’s central leadership asked all sides not to air their views in public, has again become active after a lull for 15 days due to the floods in parts of the state.
Jagan, who had gone to his native Kadapa district Oct 2 to attend a prayer meeting to mark one month after his father’s death in a helicopter crash, was to return here Oct 5 but he chose to visit flood-hit areas and meet the victims.
Jagan’s camp is hopeful that the party would now address the issue of leadership as the election process in Maharashtra and two other states is drawing to a close.
“The demand for making Jagan the chief minister is before the high command and the meeting of CLP (Congress Legislature Party) to choose a new leader will be held at an appropriate time to be decided by the high command,” state Minister for Municipal Administration Ramnarayan Reddy told reporters Tuesday.
While meeting Jagan, his loyalists are careful not to give an impression that the party is a divided house. “There are no groups in the party. All are united,” he said.
However, Jagan’s camp is reportedly unhappy over remarks made by state Congress president D. Srinivas, who described the stone-pelting on Chief Minister K. Rosaiah’s convoy in flood-affected areas Sunday as a “deliberate and pre-planned attack” by some youth.
Manikya Varaprasad, one of the ministers active in the ‘Jagan as CM campaign’, told reporters that Rosaiah’s convoy did not come under attack at any place.
Srinivas is among senior leaders opposing the demand for making Jagan the next chief minister. Meanwhile, Congress Working Committee member K. Keshava Rao said there was no crisis in the party and that Rosaiah is the CLP leader.
Former minister and legislator J.C. Diwakar Reddy also said every legislator has his own opinion on the leadership issue.
After the death of YSR in a helicopter crash Sep 2, Rosaiah had taken over as interim chief minister. Despite a strong demand for making Jagan the chief minister, the central leadership did not take any decision, indicating that Rosaiah might continue at least for the time being.
