This Article is From Nov 30, 2010

YSR's brother sticks with Congress, takes on Jagan Mohan Reddy

YSR's brother sticks with Congress, takes on Jagan Mohan Reddy
Hyderabad: Jagan Mohan Reddy's resignation letter to the Congress was apparently loaded with prescience.  He referred to the fear of "a vertical split" in his family. His uncle today proved he was not overstating the point. (Jagan's resignation letter to Sonia: Full Text) | (Who is Jagan Mohan Reddy?)

Vivekananda Reddy, the younger brother of the massively-popular YSR Reddy who was Jagan's father, has said he will stick with the Congress and will in fact accept a minister's position in the new Andhra Pradesh cabinet headed by Kiran Kumar Reddy. What's wrong with asking for a ministerial post, asked Jagan's uncle during a trip today to the family stronghold of Kadapa.

The new chief minister was appointed last week after K Rosaiah stepped down, partly because of his inability to check Jagan's revolt. (Watch: Jagan's 14-month rebellion) Kiran Reddy and his new ministers are to be sworn in tomorrow.  The state has been in a state of political churn since YSR died in a helicopter crash last year.

What could lead to a dramatic family face-off is Vivekananda's stand that he is willing to contest the Assembly constituency of Pulivendula, vacated yesterday by Jagan's mother for him.  

While sharing his reasons for divorcing the Congress, Jagan Mohan had blamed the Congress for "the conspiracy that is being hatched to vertically split the family of the great leader who brought back Congress party to power in Andhra Pradesh twice. I was shocked at the murky and disgusting politics being played at my back. Is it fair to lure my uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy to Delhi, thereby paving way for fissures in my family? I was deeply hurt over the reports in media that my uncle went to Delhi at the instance of Gulam Nabi Azad. Media reports revealed that this conspiracy was hatched to rein in Jaganmohan Reddy by provoking his family members against him. Does it not tantamount to a conspiracy against my family and myself?"
(Blog:Jagan on the road less travelled)
 
Vivekananda says Jagan is wrong to blame the Congress for engineering a rift in YSR's family.  He says it was he who approached the party for a post in the cabinet, and that he went to Delhi earlier this week of his own accord to lobby for the same.  He also says that the Congress had plans to give Jagan a powerful post, but that his nephew acted in haste by filing for divorce. 

The Congress may breathe a little easier with this latest endorsement - it has been working to co-opt at least a part of YSR's legacy for its own ranks. Jagan told NDTV yesterday that he has not decided yet what to name his new party.  However, he said he had asked his supporters within the Congress not to quit the Andhra assembly for now. To bring down the new Kiran Kumar Reddy government, Jagan Mohan needs the support of 53 MLAs.  He has about 30 right now, say those close to him. The Jagan camp will wait till after the cabinet is formed to woo those who've been left out. (Read: Jagan factor looms as Congress picks Cabinet)

The Congress could find itself over-leveraged for the support of actor-politician Chiranjeevi's Prajya Rajyam Party, which has 18 MLAs.
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