Rumours of the impending arrest of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in a disaappropriate assets case by the CBI had his sympathisers closing ranks behind their leader on Sunday.
“In May 1998 YSR’s father, Y S Raja Reddy, was killed in a bomb attack near his hometown of Pulivendula in Cuddapah district, the very next day YSR was supposed to begin election campaign. It is a family of sacrifices; if Jagan is arrested crores of fans will descend on the streets. News of his arrest was the handiwork of a few TV channels,” a party spokesperson said.
“On Monday onwards, he will be campaigning in Kovur. I hope the CBI will not arrest him,” said one of his close aides at the Lotus Pond mansion.
But the acceptance Nellore MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy’s resignation by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar a few days ago and the disqualification of 16 Congress legislators owing allegiance to Jagan gave ample indications that his arrest was imminent.
Allagadda MLA Shobha Nagi Reddy said the Speaker was taking decisions at the behest of the Congress high command. In case of Jagan’s arrest, sympathy from the people would engulf the state like a tsunami. One visit by the already-aggrieved Y S Vijayalakshmi would result in a complete washout of the Congress and the TDP, she declared.
YSRCP spokesperson Ambati Rambabu was confident that all the 17 MLAs and one MP of the party would be returned with best-ever margins whenever by-elections were conducted. Rambabu wanted to know how the CBI could arrest Jagan. “He never held any office in the state or the Centre. If they dare doing it, the government will have to face the consequences.”
The MLAs resigned resenting the inclusion of the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s in the FIR filed by the CBI. The MLAs defied the party whip and voted in favour of the no-confidence motion moved by the TDP against Kiran Kumar government on December 5.
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