Hyderabad : Rebel MP Jagan Reddy?s resignation from the Congress on Monday evoked angry reactions from his supporters in Andhra Pradesh, who burnt down the party flags in protest, though the Congress remained defiant that Reddy?s move will not impact the party?s fortunes.
Union Law minister Veerappa Moily, who is the party in-charge of the state, claimed that Reddy?s resignation will have no effect on the Congress in Andhra.
Terming the move ?most unfortunate and misguided?, Moily asserted that it will have no impact on the ruling Congress in the state.
?I don?t want to comment on anything else,? he said, refusing to elaborate on what could have led Jagan to leave the party.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP from the state V Hanumantha Rao also claimed that Jagan?s move cannot alter the party?s rising fortunes in Andhra Pradesh.
He maintained that the Congress have given ample room to Jagan and claimed that the young MP had no future outside the Congress.
Meanwhile, Jagan supporters in several places, including his constituency Kadapa, damaged party property and burnt banners carrying Congress chief Sonia Gandhi?s pictures.
They also took out protest rallies in several parts.
Jagan Reddy had sent a one-line resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Monday morning and dashed off a four-page open resignation letter to party chief Gandhi.
His mother Vijaylakshmi has also resigned from the assembly as an MLA from Pulivendula constituency..
He is likely to float a regional party of his own, his close associates hinted.
They said the new outfit would like to have a name like — YSR- stands for Youth Sramik Ryot.
The son of late Chief Minister Y S R Reddy, who had died in a helicopter crash in 2009, angered the Congress high command with his defiance and of late even used his TV channel, Sakshi, to target leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The channel, owned by Jagan, raised the hackles of the party leadership by targeting Gandhi family members and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The 38-year-old scion of YSR had been aspiring to become the CM, and the increasing isolation from the party reportedly pushed him into breaking away from Congress.
The son of YSR became desperate with central Congress leaders after Kiran Kumar Reddy was appointed the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh last week after K Rosaiah stepped down unexpectedly citing health reasons.