Jagan Mohan Reddy resigns from Congress

Mangalore Today News Network

Hyderabad, November 29:  It’s official. YSR’s son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has announced his resignation as the MP from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in the first step towards launching his own party. His mother Vijayalaxmi has also resigned as MLA from Pulivendula Assembly seat. For now, Jagan has asked MLAs who support him in Andhra Pradesh not to resign from their Assembly seats.  

Jagan has been at war with the Congress over the last few weeks. He has used his TV channel, Sakshi, to attack senior Congress leaders including the PM, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.  In turn, the Congress has made it clear that it will not tolerate his habitual dissidence.

Three days ago, Jagan Mohan told that his supporters were urging him to quit the Congress on the grounds that it has repeatedly tried to restrain his surging popularity among voters.  The Jagan camp believes that the party is nervous about the people of Andhra Pradesh accepting Jagan as the rightful political heir to the legacy of his father who died in a helicopter crash last year, and has been on the state’s most popular leaders.

Last weekend, Sakshi TV, owned by Jagan, aired a news analysis show that was scathingly critical of Sonia Gandhi and the PM as leaders.  When the Congress objected, those who run the channel said that Jagan was unaware of the program’s content- an explanation rejected by the party, which, nevertheless decided not to penalize him. K Rosaiah stepped down as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, partly because of that TV program - he was accused of not being able to handle the factionalism within his party in his own state.

The Congress then picked Kiran Kumar Reddy as its new Chief Minister.  While Reddy made it clear that he would respect the political agenda set by YSR, Sakshi TV was quick to air shows that challenged Kiran Kumar as the state’s new leader; a show also suggested that the Congress’ poor performance in the Bihar elections proved that Rahul Gandhi had been unable to make any sort of impact despite aggressive campaigning by him.

In a sign that it would block further revolt from Jagan, the Congress on Sunday suggested that YSR’s younger brother, Y S Vivekananda Reddy, would be  a minister in Kiran Kumar’s cabinet.  Those close to Jagan say he rightly recognizes this as an attempt to divide YSR’s family, and force YSR loyalists to choose between the party and Jagan Mohan.

Since his father died, Jagan Mohan has been keen on projecting himself as a mass leader.  He launched and conducted his odarpu yatra  -  a road show across the state-  in defiance of Congress orders. 

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