New Delhi/Hyderabad, January 12: The Congress High Command seemed to be rattled by the tremendous response to the 24-hour “Jala Deeksha” launched by the former Congress Kadapa MP, Mr Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest against the “injustice” meted out to Andhra Pradesh in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal award.
Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “Jala Deeksha” is aimed at highlighting the plight of the farmers who suffered heavily due to cyclones, untimely rains and floods over the last one year and the Krishna water award now endangering their future.
Having reached New Delhi by a special train along with hundreds of his supporters on Monday night, the rebellious son of late YSR commenced his 24-hour fast at Jantar Mantar after garlanding the portrait of his late father. Along with him as many as 24 Congress MLAs, two MLAs each from TDP and PRP, two Congress MPs and three MLCs besides scores of former legislators and ministers, ZPTC Chairmen and members in large numbers joined Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy in the fast.
What has come as a rude shock to the Congress High Command is that despite sending enough signals to the party MPs and legislators to distance themselves from Jagan’s protest fast seem to have been thrown to the winds. The defiant attitude of the party leaders has jolted the Central party leadership which is already encountering problems from the Telangana Congress MPs and ministers over the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee report.
After his successful “Laksha Deeksha” fast at Vijayawada last month demanding hike in compensation to rain-hit farmers, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, by taking up the cause of the farmers plight to the door-steps of the powers that be in Delhi and tremendous response he received from not only Congress leaders but also from others seem to be intended to send a clear signal to the Congress High Command that he was gearing up to take on the Congress in the State with his proposed political party “ YSR Congress”.
Meanwhile, the APCC president, Mr D. Srinivas is placed in a very embarrassing and delicate position as he has failed to reign in the party legislators and MPs from associating themselves with Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. What is intriguing is that the PCC Chief not only failed to issue a strong warning to the party leaders, but also tried to put the onus on the High Command by stating that the Central party leadership was keeping a tab on the activities of the State party leaders would take appropriate action. Even the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, seems to have failed to prove his leadership qualities in preventing as many as 30 Congress legislators and MPs from joining Jagan’s fast.
The Congress High Command as an immediate fire fighting effort has summoned the Telangana Congress MPs for discussions and cautioned them sternly not to cause further embarrassment to the already beleaguered party leadership with Mr Jagan becoming a Damocles’ Sword.
Even the Telugu Desam party seems to be being haunted by Jagan jaggernaught as Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu in a bid to protect the party image has also launched a “Rythu Yatra” in Krishna district today wherein he and his party leaders went hammer and tongs against the former Kadapa MP by holding late YSR responsible for all the problems being confronted by the farming community. The presence of two party MLAs in the Jagan fast in New Delhi is also cause of worry for the TDP president, who, like the Congress leadership is also facing headache from the party leaders from the Telangana region.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy, today held discussions with the ministers, Dr D L Ravindra Reddy and Mr Syed Ahmedullah, who are from Kadapa district. During the discussion, the pros and cons of Mr Jagan’s fast and its impact on the Congress party seem to have figured. The Director General of Police, Mr K Aravinda Rao, also had a meeting with the Chief Secretary, Mr S V Prasad, wherein the law and order situation, especially on the Osmania University campus seems to have figured.
Though Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that his fast was not a show of strength but only to draw the attention of the Central government to the problems being faced by the farmers in the State, a new political alignment is likely to take place in the State politics after the launching of “YSR Congress” by Mr Jagan in the coming days.
NSS