The power struggle in Andhra Pradesh Congress party continuing since the sudden death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is fast heading towards its climax as there are indications that the party's central leadership will invite YSR's son and a claimant of CM's gaddi Jaganmohan Reddy to Delhi to strike out a compromise formula.
The demand for making Kadappa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy the state chief minister in place of his late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy took an ugly turn with his supporters in the name of Jagan Yuva Sena allegedly tearing down a huge banner carrying the pictures of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former minister Renuka Choudhary in the Khammam district Congress committee office.
In a survey conducted by Nielsen, for Telugu news channel NTV, an overwhelming 78 per cent of the electorate in Andhra Pradesh stated that they would like to see Jaganmohan Reddy succeed his father YSR Rajasekhara Reddy as the next chief minister. According to the survey, the results of which were also released by the Congress Legislature Party, caretaker Chief Minister K Rosaiah was second on the popularity chart with 13 per cent support.
Eleven of the 33 party MPs from Andhra Pradesh met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is expected to go to Hyderabad sometime later for resolving the issue, and put up their case that late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's son should be given the top job in the state.
Following is the statement issued by late Andhra Pradesh Chief minister's son YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday, urging his supporters to immediately stop their campaign projecting him as the successor
The power struggle in Andhra Pradesh Congress after the death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy took an ugly turn on Sunday when the supporters of YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy disrupted the party's condolence meeting.
The campaign for making Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy, gathered pace on Friday with his supporters losing no time and taking up the issue with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress' move to checkmate rebel Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's yatra does not seem to have had the desired effect.
Seeking to take the wind out of defiant Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's sails, Congress on Monday announced Rs 1 lakh each to the families of those who committed suicide in the wake of the death of then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and his father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.
Congress lawmakers from Telangana met senior party leader and Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday demanding disciplinary action against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for joining a Telugu Desam Party protest in Lok Sabha against the decision to carve out a separate state from Andhra Pradesh.
The fissures in the Congress over the Telangana issue came to the fore in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday when Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, along with some other party Members of Parliament, joined a Telugu Desam Party protest against the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Jaganmohan, son of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, even stormed the well of the House, joining the TDP members. The TDP members were carrying placards saying 'We want united Andhra Pradesh'.
In the eye of a storm ever since he defied the high command, Congress MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday claimed the party has given the "go-ahead" to him to continue with his tour of Telangana region and that all issues have been sorted out.
An organisational portfolio in the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Congress party seems to be all that Y S Jaganmohan Reddy--son of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy--will get for the time being. Halting his aspirations of taking over the mantle from his father, the Congress high command has decided to continue with current Chief Minister K Rosaiah for the time being.
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, whose supporters have been campaigning for making him the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who told him to leave the issue of leadership change in Andhra Pradesh to her.
The Congress, which is in the Opposition at the national level, has turned 'feeble and disintegrated', Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said on Saturday, and suggested that all anti-Bharatiya Janata Party parties, including the Sena, should come together under the UPA banner to provide a formidable alternative.
Clear battle lines have started emerging in the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh between the supporters and opponents of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of departed leader Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
The DGP was on the "hit list" of the YSR Congress for some time now, as they were perceived to be close to the previous Telugu Desam Party government.
Almost a week after the death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash, Andhra Pradesh is facing an unprecedented situation as some of the ministers in the state seem to be staying away from their offices and are not extending cooperation to the Chief Minister Ken Rosaiah as they were upset with the party high command for not installing YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy as chief minister.
The Communist Party of India-Maoist on Tuesday finally broke its silence over the tragic death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. The outlawed organisation described his death as the end of an era of a 'dictator, a war lord and an undemocratic World Bank agent'.Koteshwara Rao alias Kishenji, a senior underground leader of the CPI-Maoist, dismissed the outpouring of grief across the state after YSR's demise as an orchestrated show.
Dr K V P Ramachandra Rao, adviser to the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and the man believed to be behind the open campaign for making Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as Andhra Pradesh's next Chief Minister, on Tuesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi has promised to look into the leadership issue.
As the sympathy generated by Rajasekhara Reddy's tragic death has started ebbing, it has become more or less clear now that the Congress high command was in no mood to oblige aggressive campaigners projecting Jaganmohan Reddy as his successor.
The muscle-flexing by 140 Members of Legislative Assembly of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, demanding the appointment of late AP Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhara Reddy's son Jaganmohan Reddy as the next CM, has come as a rude jolt to the Congress leadership, according to highly placed sources in the party.The party has realised that the entire power structure in a state should not be handed over to one individual or faction.
Thirty-six-year-old Jagan, who along with his mother and other family members returned to Hyderabad on Sunday after performing the last rites of his father in home town Pulivendula, issued a statement urging his supporters to remain calm, exercise restraint and leave the decision to the Congress high command.
Who will take over the mantle of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh? This is the big question in the event of the death of charismatic leader Dr Y S Rajashekhara Reddy.
Badal said farmers are braving the cold and waiting at Delhi's borders but the government's "eyes and ears are shut".
Breaking his silence on the Telangana issue, Kadapa Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday said he stands for a united Andhra Pradesh and alleged that the Telugu Desam Party and its chief N Chandrababu Naidu were responsible for the current situation in the state.
The police have decided to forcibly move YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy from the Lotus Pond office in Hyderabad where he has been on an indefinite fast against the Centre's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.
Congratulating the people of Telangana on the formation of the new state, YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday said though the state is divided geographically, Telugu people will stay united and will cooperate mutually.
The photo, downloaded from Internet and published in the Sunday edition of the paper, showed Jesus holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer can in the other. It evoked angry reaction from the Christian minority and the community members staged a protest demonstration and ransacked the offices of the newspaper at several places across the state.
The results in Seemandhra have shocked YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy.
When the figure figured in the cabinet meeting, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy left the meeting hall, leaving the issue to be discussed by his cabinet colleagues. The cabinet unanimously approved the allotment.
The Telugu film industry get together for a grand wedding.
The move by the Andhra Pradesh cabinet came after the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy government last week failed to pass in the Upper House of the state legislature two crucial Bills related to its plan of having three capitals for the state.
The fight between Jaganmohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu for the political supremacy in Seema-Andhra region has taken an interesting turn.
Telugu Desam Party on Saturday alleged that YSR Congress Party president Jaganmohan Reddy violated the model code of conduct by stretching his road show beyond stipulated time limit at Mylavaram town in Krishna district.
'The need of the hour is unity among all Indians who wish to protect and preserve our cherished values of democracy and secularism'
A new realignment should be expected in equations between the non-BJP, non-Congress parties and the government at the Centre. Aditi Phadnis reports.
If there is unity in the Opposition, it is only about regional parties other than the DMK not wanting Rahul Gandhi or any other Congress leader for prime minister, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The son of Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu, and his driver have been arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a 20-year-old teacher.