Jagan makes tall claims; AP minister quits after by-poll

Riding high on the  YSR Congress’ triumph in the Kovur Assembly by-election, party chief Jaganmohan Reddy dropped a bombshell claiming that he has the “capacity to get 35-40 candidates elected in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.”

“I alone can give a corruption-free government in Andhra Pradesh,” he said. Jagan’s comments has attracted strong reactions from rivals.   

“Either it is the devil  speaking  up loud  or  it is the things to  happen in coming years,” said former congress president  M Satyanarayana Rao.

Meanwhile, AP Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy on Thursday owned up responsibility for the Congress debacle in the by-election and tendered his resignation.

Reddy, who had earlier demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy following the poll debacle, sent his resignation to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

He also warned Gandhi of a probable exodus from the party following the second round of by-election in May.

“Congress will again be routed with many as 70 MLAs will join the YSR Congress,” he said.

The health minister was routed by Jagan Reddy in the previous by-election to the Kadapa seat, with the latter winning by a margin of over five lakh votes. His relation with the chief minister also soured after the Kiran Reddy gave away the EMRI services to GVK group, overriding his advice.

Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajnarasimha and  Panchayat Minister K Jana Reddy were confabulating with several ministers and legislators in the secretariat on Thursday, fuelling speculation of high voltage political activity in the state. 

All is not well at Jagan Reddy’s front as well, as the CBI is slated to file a chargesheet before April 2, in the alleged illegal assets amassed by him. Moreover, uncertainty looms over his impending arrest as the CBI had put the arrest on hold in view of the by-election.