Diggy brings Sonia word
HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI
Sept. 6: The Congress asked state leaders to quieten down as the clamour to make Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of the late chief minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, intensified on Sunday, even as the pro-Jagan camp decided to lobby with the party leadership directly and the man in the centre of the storm appealed to his supporters to await the decision of the party president.
In a letter, Mr Reddy stated, “The high command knows, and more particularly, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, respects the public perception and the feelings of lakhs of Congress party workers. She knows too well what is good for all of us, for the state and for people.”
Party sources said the high command had indicated that it would not be intimidated by the pressure tactics of state leaders into making a rash decision. Some Congress leaders had to be persuaded to take oath as part of the Rosaiah cabinet for fulfilling a constitutional obligation on Sunday. Also, Jagan supporters had shouted slogans demanding that he be made Chief Minister at a condolence meeting for Rajasekhar Reddy.
The Congress leader and AP in-charge, Mr Veerappa Moily, met Mrs Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence and briefed her about the situation. Perceiving Sunday’s incidents as open defiance, the high command sent a strong message through the AICC general secretary, Mr Digvijay Singh, who is in Hyderabad to convey his condolence to the bereaved family. Highly placed Congress sources said that he had been asked to do some tough talking with state political leaders.
According to one minister, the high command has already “received signals” that “some things” have happened that are contrary to the traditions being followed in the Congress. To avoid giving the impression that it was in confrontation, the pro-Jagan group has decided to shift the action to New Delhi.
Mr K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, MP and incharge of the operation to make Mr Reddy the Chief Minister, will go to Delhi where he is scheduled to meet Mrs Gandhi on Tuesday. Mr Rao will also meet core committee members of Congress Working Committee to impress them the importance of appointing YSR’s son as his successor. He will be accompanied by some party MPs. The high command is expected to begin formulating the procedure to be adopted to put the Congress government in order. The mourning period would be over on September 8 and the Congress core committee is expected to attend to the issue of a new chief minister for the state.
In case the high command decides to continue with the existing arrangement, the Congress Legislature Party will meet to elect Mr Rosaiah as its leader. The CLP resolution to the effect will be submitted to the Governor, Mr N.D. Tiwari, to give validity to his invitation Mr Rosaiah on September 3. If that is the case, there is no need for another swearing-in ceremony.
If the high command decides upon Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, or any other leader, the CLP will meet and elect him as its leader. The resolution to this effect, along with the resignation of Mr Rosaiah, will be handed over to the Governor.
He will then invite the new leader of the CLP to form government. The same procedure will be followed if the high command decides on another leader as Chief Minister.
