Facing Jagan challenge,Congress makes bid to reclaim YSR legacy

The book titled YSR: Man of the Masses,edited by Raghu Rai,contains a collection of his photographs capturing different moments of his political life. What marked the book release function at the India Islamic Centre here was the presence of many YSR loyalists,including MPs,MLAs and MLCs,who have stayed with the Congress amid growing realisation in party circles about Jagan gradually succeeding in claiming his father’s political legacy.

KVP Rao,who was said to be instrumental in allotting party tickets to many of these leaders,brought them together at a time when the breach in the state Congress camp appeared to be widening. Only last week,24 party MLAs and one MP resigned protesting against the naming of YSR in the CBI FIR in a disproportionate assets case against Jagan. At least two more MPs were also learnt to be planning to resign.

Except a brief reference by Digvijaya Singh of “difficult times” the Congress is going through in the state,all speakers chose to skip any mention of the political situation or the challenges thrown by Jagan. Apart from Singh,the other central leaders who attended the function included AICC treasurer Motilal Vora,general secretary in charge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad and Oscar Fernandes.

Asked about the naming of YSR in the CBI FIR at a press conference earlier in the day,Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said,“As far as I know,his name is not there in the FIR.”

Speaking at the function,MP M A Khan said that YSR’s “last word” was to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister in 2014 and the party would work towards that. The Chief Minister echoed similar views while interacting with reporters at Andhra Bhawan earlier.