Hyderabad:
Jagan Mohan Reddy is flexing his political muscle in Andhra Pradesh again. He's resumed his Odarpu Yatra or Consolation Tour which engages him with families who say their relatives died of shock after Jagan's father, YSR Reddy, was killed in a helicopter crash in September 2009. YRS was Chief Minister when he died.
Over the next 13 days, Jagan Mohan is scheduled to cover over one thousand kilometres and meet 36 families.
Mr Reddy began his tour last summer, despite strict cease-and-desist instructions from his party, the Congress. In November 2010, he quit the Congress, claiming that his mother and he had been insulted repeatedly by the party. The divorce was based mainly on Jagan's resentment over not being selected as his father's replacement as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. He has repeatedly taunted the Congress by being seen in public with several of its leaders, many of who accompany him on different legs of his Odarpu Yatra.
He launched his own party, the YSR Congress in December 2010. A few days ago, the Congress was embarrassed to find several of its MLAs taking an oath at a public ceremony held by Jagan Mohan. The Congressmen vowed to follow the policies of the YSR Congress.