What was at stake in the no holds barred battle between YS Jaganmohan Reddy and the Congress leadership is lot more than the question of who will rule the state
Hyderabad: What was at stake in the no holds barred battle between YS Jaganmohan Reddy and the Congress leadership is lot more than the question of who will rule the state. Apart from inheriting the leadership after his father's death, Jagan was also waging the battle for YS Rajasekhar Reddy's rich political legacy, which he created over a period of less than a decade.
Starting with his famous 1600 kms long Padyatra through the length and breadth of the state in 2003, to what he called "understand the woes of the farmers", YSR worked hard to create and nurture an image of "messiah of the poor, the weak and the farmers". He fortified it by launching and implementing a plethora of populist schemes, drawing a few leaves from the original man of masses NT Rama Rao, after he brought Congress back to power in the state after a gap of almost a decade in 2004.
His pro-poor policies such as free electricity to the farmers, pensions for all the weaker sections, scholarships to millions of students, free medical treatment to the poor suffering from major diseases and finally Rs 2 per kg scheme endeared him to the masses in a manner few could imagine.
"From a faction leader of badlands of Rayala Seema, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy's transformation to a messiah was not only remarkable but incredible", said a long time observer of state politics.
In the process he also became the most powerful leader the Congress had seen in Andhra Pradesh. His apparent invincibility and the hallow around him made YSR the unquestionable and most charismatic leader of the party and even Sonia Gandhi and high command could not dare to cross his path.
Though opposition continued to cry hoarse about his alleged corruption and amassing of wealth, few paid attention to them as YSR smiled away all such accusation.
It was sheer on the strength of his image built on the foundation of welfare schemes and clever use of money power that YSR led Congress to second consecutive term never seen since the Telugu Desam had vanquished it in 1983.
For a relatively younger and healthy YSR there was no need to think in terms of succession, he never tried to hide his ambition to see his only son Jagan in his shoes. It was with this long term plan that he fielded Jagan from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and enabled him to romp with the biggest margin. The fact that he could deliver 33 Lok Sabha MPs to the high command, endeared him further. At the same time he also strengthened his iron grip over the state Congress by ensuring that most of the Congress tickets in the assembly polls went to his supporters.
Launching of a Telugu daily Sakshi and following it up with a 24-hour news channel with the investment of hundreds of crore were all seen as part of the ambitious game plan a doting father had devised for his son.
So when YSR met with an unexpected and tragic end last year, it was natural for Jagan to dream of taking his father's place and more natural for YSR's loyalists in the state cabinet and the assembly to support his claim. Even before YSR's funeral, a grotesque drama was played out in which Jagan loyalists including ministers made a beeline to Sonia Gandhi to submit a memorandum with the signatures of legislators demanding that Jagan be made the Chief Minister. Sonia Gandhi was aghast.
Already perturbed over the unquestioned run YSR had over Andhra Pradesh, she had made up the mind that the power can not be allowed to remain in the hands of YSR family. Rest is history.
Nevertheless Congress also did not want to give up YSR's formidable legacy. That explains why even the new Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has vowed to continue all the schemes of YSR and also fulfil his last wish of making Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister in 2014.
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