New Delhi, September 09: Congress managers continued their efforts on Tuesday to find a successor to late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
KVP Ramachandra Rao, a close adviser to the late YSR and the man believed to be behind the campaign to make Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy the next chief minister of the state, met party president Sonia Gandhi. Sonia was accompanied by her political secretary Ahmed Patel.
Rao did not reveal what transpired at the hour-long meeting.
All that he shared with the media was that Sonia told him she would consult Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Veerappa Moily and other Congress leaders before taking any decision.
Sources said a formula was being worked out that would be to the satisfaction of those who were in favour of Jagan and those who were against.
The meeting came on a day when support for Jagan as the chief minister continued to pour in from the state.
Even non-Reddy leaders, who had opposed YSR, came out to back the late chief minister’s candidature.
Before meeting the Congress president, Rao said: “Everything has been left to the high command. Whatever madam Sonia Gandhi decides, we will abide by it.” Rao will meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday. Rao is also expected to call on AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi if he returns to the Capital from his Tamil Nadu tour.
Former Andhra home minister K. Jana Reddy, whose name has been doing the rounds in Congress circles for the CM’s post, reportedly wrote a letter to Sonia on Tuesday requesting her to appoint Jagan as the CM. Andhra Pradesh Congress committee president D. Srinivas, who has been facing stiff protest from within the party for allegedly trying to block Jagan’s appointment as CM, met Jagan separately to console him. Srinivas’ son also reportedly came out to back Jagan.
MP Kasu Krishna Reddy, in Rao’s company, also told reporters that Jaganmohan was a capable person with vision, character and leadership qualities.
“However, the decision regarding the leadership has been left to the high command,” he said.
Rao is believed to have piped down and put the open campaign for Jagan on hold following the Congress high command’s whip.
While Sonia and her aides advised Rao not to precipitate matters, she also enquired about YSR’s family, especially wife Vijayalakshmi, and how they were coping with the shock.
Moily said the party leadership would resolve the succession issue soon after the mourning period was over.
“We will resolve this problem as soon as the mourning period is over.” He said the party leadership had not initiated any discussion on the issue and suggested that the state leaders were coming and meeting the high command on their own.
On Tuesday morning, Moily briefed the Congress president on his talks with Rao and other leaders in Hyderabad.
The party has said so far that the chief ministership of K. Rossiah (he was made acting AP CM after YSR’s death) was an interim arrangement.
Moily denied forming any committee to resolve the succession tangle.
–Agencies