Jaganmohan Reddy's MP chickens out?

HYDERABAD: In what could be indicative of deepening fissures within the Jagan camp after the resignation drama unfolded on Monday, MP Sabbam Hari did not tender his resignation on Wednesday, while fellow member Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy resigned from the Lok Sabha in protest against the reported inclusion of YSR's name in the CBI FIR in the disproportionate assets case.

Hari is Congress MP from Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam district and Rajamohan Reddy hails from Nellore. Both Rajamohan Reddy and Hari went to speaker Meira Kumar's chamber together where only the former submitted his papers.

Reddy informed the speaker that he was resigning to register his protest against the 'witch-hunt' unleashed against Jagan and his late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy by the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh. Reddy's resignation came close on the heels of 26 legislators owing allegiance to Jagan quitting over the same issue.

Surprisingly, Hari came back without putting in his papers. When asked, he said he would tender his resignation probably next week or before the end of the Parliament session. He, however, did not cite any reason for postponing the decision to resign from his membership.

Denying reports of change of heart, he said: "I would resign before the closure of this Parliament session. This could be my last session as Congress MP." He also said he was waiting for another Congress MP to put in his papers. "There are 50-50 chances that the MP could quit along with me," he said. He, however, refused to elaborate further and name the MP.

Talking to media later, Rajamohan Reddy said there were several reasons for his resignation. "One is the way Jagan is being treated by the Centre and the way Andhra Pradesh as a state is being treated by the government," he said. "We are upset ever since CBI named YSR, who was responsible for bringing Congress back to power in AP," he said. He said the CBI probe was a desperate move and conspiracy by the Congress leaders as they were apprehensive of Jagan's growing popularity.

Meanwhile, a sense of despondency has set in in the Jagan camp following the Supreme Court dismissing Jagan's plea to stay CBI probe. "In such a situation, Sabbam Hari is having a re-think. Besides, the Lok Sabha speaker is still sitting on the resignations submitted by the Telangana Congress MPs over the separate state issue," said sources close to the Jagan camp.

Also, YSR Congress party's efforts to rope in more Congress MLAs to quit in protest against the 'witch-hunt' against the Kadapa MP have not materialized. Sources said the chances of the speaker rejecting the resignations of 26 legislators and the lukewarm response of TDP to topple the Kiran government have dampened the spirits of Jagan loyalists.

"The campaign managers of Jagan thought the mass resignations of MLAs would cause tremors in the Congress. But that did not happen," sources said. A close aide of Jagan told TOI that there is no likelihood of more MLAs resigning. "Even though there are some Jagan loyalists in Congress, it is difficult to get their resignations as the chances of toppling the government are slim," he said.

No wonder YSR Congress is reworking its strategies. "Instead of concentrating on resignations, Jagan could take the issue of injustice meted out to YSR family to the people's court in a big way after the second death anniversary of YSR on September 2," the aide revealed.

Meanwhile, Jagan on Wednesday carried on with his Odarpu yatra in Tiruvuru and Mailavaram areas in Krishna district. "We are more than happy with the response from the crowds," an aide of Jagan said. But they were not that optimistic about the mood in their camp improving for the better in the coming days.


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