Jagan remains a nightmare for Congress

The-four-year-old political journey of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the Kadapa MP and son of ex-chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy which began in 2008, has reached a crucial phase with his arrest on Sunday.

Even though a wave in favour of Jagan has been anticipated in the June 12 by-polls of 18 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Congress is more worried about the defiant Jagan loyalists who are fence sitting and giving sleepless night to the high command.

Jagan has already nominated his mother and Pulivendula MLA, YS Vijayalakshmi for continuing the campaign he has started. “Vijayamma as a widow of late YSR adds to the sympathy factor and the YSR Congress must be in the top two positions, except in Parkala — the only segment going for by-polls in the Telangana region,” a political analyst noted. Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, a prominent Dalit leader from the YSR Congress said Vijayamma will be helped by the central committee in running the party in short-term. In the long-run, the party will become a main contender to the Congress and TDP in the state, he added.

One of the richest Parliamentarian with declared assets of Rs 365 crore, Jagan is perhaps the first Andhra politician to be arrested on quid pro quo charge. Jagan has emerged as a power centre in Andhra Pradesh  challenging the traditional Congress and TDP in spite of  the CBI probe and allegations of amassing hundreds of crore  of bribe money in the form of  “investments” into his group of companies including a media empire (Telugu newspaper and TV channel) and several domestic infra and investment companies overseas.

Ever since the accidental death of YSR in a helicopter crash on September 2, 2009, Jagan has emerged as an alternative to both Congress and TDP by attracting huge crowds to his Odarpu (consolation meetings) yatra in various districts.

Not only the people but also the elected representatives of the Congress and TDP are moving towards the YSR Congress floated by Jagan since then.