Congress leadership hijacks Jaganmohan Reddy?s yatra

Hyderabad, Sept 1 : In a bid to rein in Jaganmohan Reddy, the Congress has now decided to organise its own tour to console families of those who died in shock after his father and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy’s death.

The party will now conduct its own Odarpu Yatra and will meet the families and give them one lakh rupees each in compensation. The top leadership has asked Congress cadres to keep away from Jagan’s trip, saying it does not have Sonia Gandhi’s blessings.

But Jagan supporters are defiant.

“Our advice to him is that the line drawn by the high command should not be crossed. If he does so, Jagan has to suffer a loss,” says D.Nagender, Health Minister, Andhra Pradesh.

With this Congress party has killed three birds with one stone – Jagan can no longer criticise the Rosaiah government, accusing it of dumping the programmes that YSR launched; Jagan can no longer claim to be the sole inheritor of the YSR legacy; and it makes it difficult for pro-Jagan MLAs to say they are with Jagan because he is paying respects to YSR, a leader they respected.

YSR died in a helicopter crash in September last year when he was the Chief Minister.

By not initiating disciplinary action against Jagan, the Congress leadership has given YSR’s son a chance to be part of the party’s official Odarpu yatra.

“We have to use this opportunity and travel together. Jagan has to sit with Veerappa Moily and discuss and settle all matters with them,” said Vijayawada MP L Rajagopal.