Defiant Jagan to go ahead with yatra from Monday

Calcutta News.Net
Sunday 22nd August, 2010

Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy appears to be heading for showdown with the party leadership by launching his 'Odarpu (consolation) yatra' in his native Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh Monday.

A day after the leadership warned Jagan to drop his proposed yatra in Prakasam district from Sep 3, the son of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy threw a challenge by deciding to undertake the yatra in Kadapa district.

According to sources close to Kadapa MP, he would visit Pulivendula assembly constituency for two days from Monday to console the families of those who 'died of shock' following his father's death in a helicopter crash on Sep 2 last year.

YSR, as the late leader was popularly known, used to represent Pulivendula and currently his widow, Vijayalakshmi is the legislator from the constituency.

Pulivendula was not in Jagan's schedule but by including it a day after senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee's warning, he appears to have dared the leadership to take action against him.

Congress party sources Saturday said Mukherjee, during a meeting with Jagan three days ago, warned him to stop next leg of his yatra in Prakasam on Sep 3 or face action.

A defiant Jagan camp said he would go ahead with the yatra without caring for the consequences. Jagan loyalist and state Mines Minister B. Srinivas Reddy has stated that there is no change in the yatra's schedule.

A couple of Congress legislators in the district have also decided to accompany Jagan despite the warning from leadership. They took the decision under pressure from party cadres in their constituencies.

Jagan plans to address a public meeting at Tirupati Sep 2 on the first death anniversary of his father before embarking on the yatra in Prakasam.

The leadership sees Jagan's yatra as an attempt to mobilise support from both party and public to destabilise the government led by K. Rosaiah.

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