The Congress high command on Thursday night deferred the potentially fractious exercise to choose late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's successor as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister but its unit in the state came out in a groundswell of support for his son Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as the next CM.

While a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party is scheduled to elect his successor only after the seven-day mourning period, the state Cabinet passed a resolution today urging the central leadership to name YRS’s son the next CM.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Danam Nagender said 118 MLAs — of the 156 — have signed a letter with that demand. Small Scale Industries Minister D K Aruna said that when Rajiv Gandhi could be made Prime Minister after the death of Indira Gandhi, “why not Jagan Mohan after YSR?” These MLAs plan to submit their petition to Congress President Sonia Gandhi who along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad tomorrow.

Among the thousands gathered at Begumpet Airport and outside the CM’s residence right through the day today, there were several holding placards reading “We want Y S Jagan as CM.” A group of at least 12 MPs, led by Vundavalli Arun Kumar, MP from Rajahmundry, gathered in the Lake View Government Guest House even as the CM’s body was being airlifted to Hyderabad from Kurnool.

The MPs called up several MLAs to seek their opinion and by evening, just before the bodies arrived, their demand was official: Jaganmohan Reddy should be the next Chief Minister. This despite the fact that Finance Minister K Rosaiah took oath as interim Chief Minister.

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