New Delhi, September 10: Supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, on Wednesday continued their efforts to mobilise backing for the young MP to be the next chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and the party itself appeared still undecided on the succession issue.
After his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday, K V P Ramachandra Rao, who is spearheading the campaign, today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and discussed the situation in the state.
With the mourning period ending, Mukherjee is expected to visit Hyderabad and hold discussions on the leadership issue. Congress in-charge of AP and Union Law minister Veerappa Moily had last week said that K Rosaiah assuming chief ministership is an interim arrangement.
Reliable party sources said the high command has not yet decided when to start the process of choosing a successor to late Rajasekhara Reddy.
“We have to choose our own timing. We need to think coolly. Andhra Pradesh is not just another state” said a senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified.
Rao, a confidante of the late Chief Minister, was closeted with Singh for 30 minutes at the Prime Minister’s Race Course Road residence here.
“The Prime Minister knows everything about the political situation in the state. He is also aware of the people’s and party men’s sentiments. I do not have to explain the details to him,” Rao told reporters after the meeting.
On his discussions with Singh, Rao said the Prime Minister was particularly concerned over the health and the mental state of family members, relatives and friends of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash last week.
“The Prime Minister particularly enquired about their state of health and whether the family members, especially his wife, have resumed their normal life after YSR’s sudden demise,” Rao said.
He said Singh advised him to devote more time to family members and shared his grief and also asked him to convey his condolences to all family members and supporters of YSR and party workers in the state.
Rao also had a meeting with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh to discuss the leadership issue.
A group of five MPs led by Ponnam Prabhakar, Convenor of Andhra Pradesh Congress MPs forum, backing Jaganmohan met Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have conveyed that the entire party and people of the state were behind Jaganmohan.
Earlier they had met Digvijay Singh. Prabhakar told reporters that that they had conveyed their feelings to the high command and were confident that the party leadership would take a decision that would be acceptable to all sections.
Sashidhar Reddy, MLA and son of the late Dr Chenna Reddy, also met Digvijay Singh.
-Agencies