Hyderabad, January 19: Not content with the massive show of strength – Jala Deeksha – at New Delhi on Jan 11, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is planning a dharna at Visakhapatnam on January 22 to corner the Cente on the recent hike in the petrol prices.
Jagan, who is on his odarpu yatra in Visakhapatnam district now, will end the exercise on Jan 21 and would sit in the dharna – Jana Deeksha – on the next day.
Apparently enthused by the turnout at Delhi, especially by not less than 24 Congress MLAs, the former Kadapa MP wants to continue the heat on the Centre and embarrass it further to settle his political scores with it for sidelining him to the extent that he quit the party. Jagan’s managers are said to be working overtime to ensure that there would be more MLAs during this time’s show of strength. Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhoopal Reddy, who had been nursing a grudge against the Congress for ignoring him during chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s cabinet constitution, today announced his support for Jagan Mohan Reddy after holding consultations with his workers in Kurnool district.
Though he had been upset at the party high command, he had stayed away from Jagan’s Jala Deeksha at Delhi. But it is likely that he would journey to Visakhapatnam to be at the side of his leader this time. It remains to be seen how many of the MLAs who turned up at New Delhi would show up at Visakhapatnam since the party high command is sending warning signals to defiant MLAs. Rumours are doing rounds that the Congress might even resort to disqualification of MLAs who continue to rally behind Jagan Mohan Reddy and this might, according to Congress sources, deter them from moving towards their leader.
–Agencies