Hyderabad:
YSR Congress party leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was released after 16 months in prison this week, is all set to intensify the ongoing movement in Seemandhra against the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
With a clear stand in support of '
samaikyandhra', or united Andhra, Mr Reddy is likely to seize the initiative and emerge as a frontrunner in Seemandhra, as Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions are together known.
Mr Reddy will be returning to the political trail after being out of the public eye because of his alleged involvement in a case of suspected corruption.
As the court has directed Mr Reddy not to leave Hyderabad without permission, he has filed a petition seeking its nod to visit Kadapa and Guntur districts in the first week of October.
Mr Reddy, whose return has already boosted the morale of the party cadre, is expected to go all out to use his first public appearance after a long time to strengthen the party in Seemandhra.
Mr Reddy's release and his decision to join the 'samaikyandhra' agitation have already sent the alarm bells ringing in both Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) camps.
About a dozen legislators of the ruling and the main opposition parties had joined the YSR Congress even when Mr Reddy was in jail. They know that a free Jagan Mohan Reddy may be more dangerous for them.
The YSR Congress hopes many fence-sitters may join once Mr Reddy hits the roads in Seemandhra, where government employees, students and other sections of people have been continuing their protests for nearly two months.
"YSR Congress is the only party in the state which has not only taken a clear stand against the decision to divide the state but is joining the people in the fight to keep the state united," said party leader Shobha Nagi Reddy.
She claimed that unlike the Congress and the TDP, who are playing gimmicks over the issue, the YSR Congress has shown its sincerity.
She pointed out that both MPs of the party and all 17 state legislators have not only submitted their resignations but are also pressing for their acceptance.
After floating the YSR Congress in 2010, Mr Reddy had taken an ambiguous stand on Telangana by stating that the Centre should respect the sentiments of people of all regions while taking a decision.
The July 30 decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) however forced the party to take a calculated risk. It has now accused the Congress of taking a decision without ensuring justice to all regions.
The son of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who was also opposed to the state's division, decided to take a clear stand on both the Congress and the TDP, which remain divided on the issue along regional lines.