The campaign for making Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy, gathered pace on Friday with his supporters losing no time and taking up the issue with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
As the move gathered momentum, interim Chief Minister K Rosaiah said he had no "personal agenda" or "aspirations" and would go by whatever the party high command decides, Congress incharge for the state M Veerappa Moily said any political party would have to respond to the "will" of the people.
Mallu Batti Vikramarka, ruling party's chief whip in the state assembly, claimed that 148 of the 154 Congress MLAs were behind Jaganmohan and over 100 of them would be meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The funeral of the late leader was on but backers of 36-year-old Jaganmohan, a political novice, met Gandhi and reportedly handed over a letter backing his candidature.
Based on an informal decision taken at a meeting of the ministers of the YSR cabinet with the interim CM on Thursday, the letter was said to have urged her to make Jaganmohan the next chief minister as he was the inheritor of his father's political legacy.
The letter is believed to have listed the names of all the ministers who were part of the YSR cabinet, including Rosaiah. The sources claimed it also has the signatures of 120 of the 155 Congress MLAs.
"The cabinet has thoroughly discussed the political scenario prevailing in the state. Keeping in view the developmental commitments and ongoing irrigation projects, besides the sentiments of the general public, we have unanimously resolved to propose the candidature of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to succeed Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the chief minister of state," the letter said.
"Just like YSR, Jagan is having a good following among masses from grassroots level and is acceptable to all sections, particularly the downtrodden and weaker sections for the chief minister's post," it added.
The letter sought to invoke "loyalty" clause to press for Jagan's candidature recalling YSR family's loyalty to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandh.
"To continue their dreams and also to fulfill your commitments to the people of Andhra Pradesh, Jaganmohan Reddy is the only suitable candidate in the present circumstances," Rosaiah and others said in the letter.
However, not all in the party may blindly accept the demand for Jaganmohan's succession, said party sources.
The High Command, they said, would wait for the mourning period to be over before deciding on YSR's successor. The chances of interim arrangement continuing cannot also be completely ruled out, they claimed.
Image: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi consoling YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad
Photograph: SnapsIndia
