Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s controversial ‘Odarpu yatra’, Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) yatra to Maharashtra over Babli barrage issue and the coming byelections in Telangana have unusually hot up political temperature in Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan, who re-commenced his yatra despite the reservations of the high command, has now become a ‘hot potato’ for the party leadership.
He announced his decision to go ahead with his tour even while stating in an open letter to people that Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not appear to be positively inclined about his tour.
His subsequent statements, wondering what mistake he is making by undertaking the yatra, and critical remarks against Chief Minister K Rosaiah did not go down well with the party leadership.
AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily, in-charge of Congress affairs in the state, said yesterday that "Jagan’s actions are not in the best interests of the party."
In an apparent warning signal to the Jagan camp, Congress high command has suspended state party general secretary Ambati Rambabu, a close confidante of Jagan, for making critical remarks against party leadership and the Chief Minister.
Responding to the suspension of his staunch supporter, Jagan said he is "pained over the disciplinary action taken against Rambabu."
Amid speculation that Jagan may float his own party, the Jagan issue would be most keenly watched in the days to come over the turn of events it may take.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam’s yatra to see the status of the controversial Babli barrage being "illegally" built by Maharashtra led to tension between the two neighbouring states.
The Maharashtra government not only refused to let the the 75-member-strong TDP delegation see the project but also arrested them for violating prohibitory orders imposed at Dharmabad in Nanded district on Andhra-Maharashtra border.
As the TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders refused to take bail, Rosaiah appealed to them to call off their protest.
Stating that the protest has moved the state government and also the "Centre to some extent", he promised them that he would lead an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 23.
In the ongoing season of political yatras in Andhra Pradesh, Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi too held his own yatra last week to highlight the alleged irregularities in the famous Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.
Chiranjeevi, MLA from Tirupati, trekked up to the Tirumala hills, the abode of Venkateswara, from Tirupati along with his party legislators.(PTI)
