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Jaganmohan Reddy, whose supporters are campaigning for making him the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday broke his silence on the succession issue saying it should be left to the high command for a decision.
In a veiled reference to his supporters' demand, 36-year-old Jagan said party chief Sonia Gandhi respects public perception and feelings of lakhs of Congress Party workers and will take a decision in such a way that his father Rajasekhara Reddy's ideals, mission and zeal would not be compromised.
"Our high command knows and more particularly our beloved leader Sonia Gandhi respects the public perception and feelings of lakhs of Congress Party workers and she knows too well what is good for all of us and what is good for our state and people," Jagan, who arrived here today from Idupulapaya, two days after last rites for his late father, said in a four-page message to party leaders and workers.
"I request you to wait the decision of Ms Sonia Gandhi, President, AICC on the issue of leadership and also urge you to abide the decision".
Gandhi will take a decision in such a way that Rajasekhara Reddy's "ideals, mission and zeal would not be compromised in any manner", he said.
The first-time MP from Kadapa recalled "the outstanding love and affection" shown by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia for his father.
Jagan said he was particularly grateful to Sonia Gandhi "for her immense support and help to my father at all crucial times. She stood like a rock behind my father and supported him wholeheartedly throughout his career."
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Kadapa MP and son of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, expressed hope that AICC president Sonia Gandhi will do justice and will honour the sentimetns of the people in deciding the next Chief Minister. In a way, he indirectly brought pressure on her to make him the CM.
Here is the text of open letter written by Jagan to the party workers:
My mother Smt. Vijayalakshmi, my sister Smt. Sharmila and our other family members join me in conveying our deepest sense of gratitude to millions of people who have shared our sorrow and grief in this hour of greatest tragedy in the passing away of my illustrious father, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. We are really moved by the extraordinary affection and love shown by all of you, but for which it would have been even more difficult for us to cope with this painful situation.
We are greatly pained to see hundreds of people losing their lives unable to bear the untimely demise of their most beloved leader. We can understand your feelings as we ourselves are in the same situation. But the best way of paying your tribute for the departed soul is by carrying on his mantle and by making sure that all his programmes and ideologies are carried on and completed.
He always used to say that his dream was to wipe every tear from every eye. He sincerely tried to do his best in the accomplishment of this most difficult task. We all have a responsibility, as true followers of his legacy, to work towards fulfilling his unfulfilled dream. We cannot afford to lose our heart and become panicky. We have to somehow summon courage and maintain calm and composure and pay our silent and respectful homage to him. On behalf of my family, I request you with folded hands, to desist from the extreme actions of committing suicides. Your life is extremely important to us. It is but for all of you and your love and affection, your sympathy and admiration, my father would not have been what he was.
I would like to personally thank Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, Sri Rahul Gandhi ji, the Governor of AP, Chief Ministers of various states, Union Cabinet Ministers and thousands of other senior leaders of all political parties that have come to Hyderabad and Idupulapaya to pay homage to my father and to console us.
As I and our other family members are grieving for the greatest loss in our life, we cannot but help in recalling the outstanding love and affection shown by Late Smt. Indira Gandhi, Late Sri Rajiv Gandhi and Smt. Sonia Gandhi for my father, but for whose unstinted support at every part of his career, it would not have been possible for my father to scale the heights he has reached. It is really a tribute to Late Sri Rajiv Gandhi that he could spot talent in my father and it was late Smt. Indira Gandhi, who appointed him at the age of 33 year as the President of APCC. It is equally important to note that Smt Sonia Gandhi ji had chosen my father as President of APCC in 1998, as Leader of Opposition in 1999, as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 2004 and 2009. We are particularly grateful to Smt. Sonia Gandhi for her immense support and help to my father at all crucial times. She stood like a rock behind my father and supported him wholeheartedly throughout his career.
It should be said to the credit of my father that he too carried on the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Sri Rajiv Gandhi in full measure and made it no secret that his greatest source on inspiration for all developmental and welfare programmes was late Smt. Indira Gandhi.
It is providential that my father also laid down his life in the call of the duty, on his way to inaugurate yet another programme for the benefit of the common man, in the true legacy of his benefactors.
During the last meeting of the Party held at Gandhi Bhavan on 27th August 2009, my father clearly mentioned that his main task and dream is to make the Congress Party to form the government on its own in 2014 general elections and to make Sri Rahul Gandhi ji as the Prime Minister of the country.
We are also grateful to lakhs of Congress leaders and the cadre in our State for whom my father had the greatest affection. But for your support, it would not have been possible for my father to rebuild the Congress Party in the State and to win many a battle including those two general elections. I can understand your feelings and emotions for your leader. Some of you have worked very closely with him and helped him in implementing the largest number of welfare programmes to benefit every citizen in the State. I know that you are all passionately attached to him and want to carry his mantle and fulfill his unfulfilled dreams. I am grateful to all of you for these good feelings.
It came to my notice that some of the Party Leaders and workers were rushing to the media and suggesting their choices for the successor of my father. I request every one with folded hands to stop such activities by going to the media, signature campaigns, using of banners, placards demonstrations etc., for my leadership as the successor of our beloved departed leader as this is not the time or the occasion. On my part, like my father, I am duty bound to be a loyal and disciplined Congress worker. We are in mourning with deep heart. As a disciplined soldier of the Congress Party it gives pain to the soul of our beloved leader.
We are all members of a big Congress family, which has a long history and tradition of 125 years. It is our good fortune to be members of this great family that has not only brought freedom for our country but also institutionalized democracy in our country.
Every Congress Worker knows that it is the tradition of our Party to leave the decision of leadership to the high command and our beloved leader Smt Sonia Gandhi ji.
Our high command knows and more particularly our beloved leader Smt. Sonia Gandhi respects the public perception and feelings of lakhs of Congress Party workers and she knows too well what is good for all of us and what is good for our state and people. I request you to await the decision of Smt Sonia Gandhi, President, AICC on the issue of leadership and also urge you to abide the decision.
Our beloved leader and President of AICC, Smt Sonia Gandhi ji will take a decision in such a way that Dr Rajasekhara Reddy’s ideals, mission and zeal would not be compromised in any manner.
I humbly appeal to you to be strong and courageous; I am with you in these trying times, just as you are with me.
(Y S JAGAN MOHAN REDDY),
Kadapa MP
The re-swearing-in ceremony of Rosaiah Cabinet would have become controversial but for the timely intervention of the high command and of course, K V P Ramachandra Rao, advisor to late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
In the morning, a few ministers expressed their reluctance to be sworn in, as they wanted Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to be declared the Chief Minister. “I don’t feel like being a minister without YSR. I wish Jagan takes over as the Chief Minister,” minister D K Aruna said. Others like Jupalli Krishna Rao, Konda Surekha, Ahmedulla and P Ramachandra Reddy also expressed similar opinion. This led to speculations that some of them might abstain from swearing-in.
However, the situation changed by evening. The Congress high command sent a message to all the ministers through late Rajasekhara Reddy’s advisor K V P Ramachandra Rao that they should take oath. Minutes before the swearing in ceremony, KVP held a meeting of all the ministers at his residence and told them that abstaining would send wrong signals to the party cadres and that it amounted to defying the party directive.
AP Congress is spoiling the situation by making noise with regard to YS Jagan. They are going over emotional and losing the balance. On a whole they are disturbing the idea of seeing Jagan as CM. They have made noise when DS was speaking in Santapa Sabha of YSR. They are making huge commotion by carrying the banners and photo cards of YS Jagan shouting ‘Jagan CM…Jagan CM’. This would certainly disturb the whole situation. Even High Command wouldn’t surrender for such force. Things should be kept in right place by Congress members. If they are so desirous of Jagan, why can’t they meet and elect him as CLP leader. They are with in their right to do so. Why they are not doing? That is because, they belong to a national party, and it has a high command. Any national party, worth the salt will not yield to emotional blackmail, however virtue of the cause may be. One is at loss to understand why these congress people ignore this simple logic.
Whenever Dr. YSR tried to influence the high command through his followers, he failed. Then he turned to the people and created a situation where the high command has no option except selecting him as CLP leader.
Even for Jagan, that is the only route. He should earn that right via people and not followers of his father. He should consolidate his base among people as Mr.Jagan and not as YSR's son. It is sure, Jagan will not be chosen to the CM's chair if the chorus for him continues. Hope better wisdom will prevail on his sycophantic followers.
Then the High Command may think in these lines and come out with 3 options.
“Jagan is very young and he needs some direct experience before enthroning CM chair. Making him CM is very easy. We too like to do that. But he may face trouble in 2014 election if he shows his inexperience in these few years. We can think of three options:
Making Jagan the Deputy CM and continuing Rosiah as CM till 2014 elections to make things run smooth
Giving a powerful position for Jagan in Central Ministry and making YSR’s brother Vinekananada Reddy as Minister in AP
Making Jagan the PCC President to run the show with Rosiah as CM in front end
Members may see any of the above three options before them. Even though they quote Rajiv Gandhi’s name, the answer is negative. Rajiv Gandhi became PM as soon as the death of Indira Gandhi. But he failed in subsequent elections.
