‘Humiliated’,YSR’s son and wife quit Congress

In a five-page ‘open letter’ to AICC President Sonia Gandhi released this morning,the MP also said his mother Vijayamma,who is an MLA from Pulivendula constituency,would also quit her post and the party.

Jagan faxed his resignation letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar,LS sources said in New Delhi. Vijayamma is expected to formally submit her resignation to the Assembly Speaker tomorrow.

Vijayamma was elected to the state Assembly late last year in a bye-election following the death of her husband in a chopper crash on September 2,2009.

The young leader had been sulking for over a year as the Congress refused to concede his demand for making him Andhra Pradesh chief minister after his father’s death.

He defied the party high command’s directives and went ahead with his controversial ‘Odarpu Yatra’ in six districts on the premise of consoling families whose members died either of shock or committed suicide in the aftermath of YSR’s death.

In reality,however,Jagan utilised the tours to promote himself as the “true political successor” to YSR and project that he alone was the beacon for Congress in Andhra Pradesh,political observers say.

His resignation comes a fortnight after the Sakshi television channel owned by him launched an attack against Sonia Gandhi,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress.

The party had expressed strong disapproval of the TV programme but no action was taken against him.

Reacting to Jagan’s decision,Union Minister M Veerappa Moily,the AICC incharge of Andhra Pradesh,termed it “most unfortunate and misguided” but said it would have no effect on the party in Andhra Pradesh.

Jagan said,”I am writing this letter with a heavy heart and a deep sense of agony. For the past 14 months,I have been enduring several insults… (and) a bizarre and malicious propaganda against me and my family.”

The belligerent MP,in his letter,also accused the Congress leadership of trying to drive a “wedge” in his family by offering to make his uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy,a member of the state Legislative Council,a minister in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh.

“They tried to brand me as being anti-party and drive me out of Congress. They tried to show the news stories telecast on Congress and its leadership with a magnifying lens so as to throw me out of the party.

“Though Sakshi newspaper and Sakshi television are independent media organisations,several conspiracy stories were spread against me. They tried to isolate and send me away from the party but today I am leaving…,” Jagan said.

Jagan also claimed there was a witch-hunt against him.

“I am unable to understand why there is such witch-hunting against me. Is conducting the Odarpu Yatra my crime,” he asked.

Pointing out that Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi was given Sonia Gandhi’s appointment within a day,he lamented that his mother was denied the same for a month.

Talking to reporters at Jagan’s residence here,his uncle and Kadapa Mayor P Ravindranath Reddy said Jagan has asked the MLAs loyal to him not to quit their posts.

He said Jagan would take a decision on his future course of action as per the wishes of the people.

P Srikant Reddy,an MLA from Kadapa district and a strong supporter of the rebel MP,said,”Jagan does not intend to destabilise the (AP) government and he has told the MLAs not to resign.

The young leader also said his supporters were being “sidelined and humiliated” in the party.

After his father died in a chopper crash in September 2009,over 140 MLAs supported Jagan’s candidature as chief Minister. But,now only 20 to 25 MLAs are said to be with him.

However,even this number is enough to topple the Congress government,observers feel. The Congress has already sought the support of 18-member Praja Rajyam Party led by film star Chiranjeevi.

Jagan’s supporters gathered at his residence in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad and burst crackers welcoming his decision.

Hailing his leadership,some of them raised slogans against the Congress President. Jagan came out for a while to acknowledge the cheers from his supporters.

Meanwhile,Union Minister M Veerappa Moily today termed as “most unfortunate and misguided” Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s decision to resign from Congress and the Lok Sabha but said it would have no effect on the party in Andhra Pradesh.

“The decision is most unfortunate and misguided,” Moily,who is also AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh,told reporters outside Parliament.

He made the remarks when asked about the decision of Jaganmohan,son of former chief minster Y S Rajasekhara Reddy,and his mother Vijayamma to resign from the party.

Asked whether the development will weaken the party,Moily remarked that “the party is very strong there”.

Moily said he had not yet received Jaganmohan’s resignation.

The minister laughed off questions whether he would guide Jaganmohan in the right direction. “I will not comment on it,” he said.

Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao also said that the party will not be affected by his resignation.

“It was his own decision. The high command had given him a long rope. He himself wanted to go. What can we do,” he said.

On whether other Congress leaders could follow Jaganmohan,Rao said,”Nobody will go,barring a few loyalists.”

Rao,who is the convenor of AICC’s SC/ST Cell,said that those who will follow Jaganmohan will return to the party later.

“May be three or four leaders will resign and follow him. That also I doubt. They will return to Congress,” Rao said.

Jaganmohan,37,represents Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.

Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi said,”It is their decision and the party has nothing to say on that.” He maintained that no individual is bigger than the party.

He was asked if Jaganmohan’s resignation from the party will affect it in Andhra Pradesh.

Observing that the mother-son duo “must have perceived the pros and cons” of their decision,he said,”I would like to say emphatically that Congress is greater than individuals”.

Rebel MP Jaganmohan Reddy,however,sought to assure the party high command that he posed no threat to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and appealed to party MLAs in Andhra Pradesh not to quit their posts “for me”.

“Wherever you are,your love and affection are enough for me. Please do not resign from your posts for me,” Jagan appealed in the open letter addressed to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

He promised her that he would continue to abide by the “values” as always.

“Since you are apprehensive that I will split the party and destabilise the Congress government (in AP),I would like to assure you that I shall continue to abide by the values I always followed. With the same values,I am appealing to all Congress MLAs,in whose hearts my late father YSR found a place and who adore me,not to quit their posts for me,” Jagan said in the letter.

The MP also pointed out that he respected Sonia’s wish on the issue of his father’s successor despite 150 MLAs supporting his candidature.

Jagan recalled that he himself proposed the name of K Rosaiah for the chief minister’s post “in deference to your wishes”,following YSR’s death,only to “uphold the high values.

“It was to uphold the same values that he let the Congress Legislature Party to smoothly elect N Kiran Kumar Reddy as Rosaiah’s successor last week.”

“But still Congress launched a vicious campaign,aimed at my character assassination,that I was conspiring to dislodge the state government. Mine is not such a mean character,” he said.

“My father used to repeatedly say that it was not important how long one lived but how one lived. The high values,credibility and good character will be the guiding principles that will lead me on my future path,” Jagan summed up.