Fifty-one days after the death of former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), his son and a Member of Parliament from Kadapa, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, broke his silence on his future role in the state politics.
While extending “full support” to chief minister K Rosaiah, he virtually put the state government on notice by saying that “pressure would be mounted on whoever be the chief minister to ensure that YSR’s policies and programmes are implemented.”
“I am only 36 years old. It is not important for me to somehow get the CM’s post now. In the days to come, I will work hard and earn the goodwill of everyone. If you have the support and blessings of the people, the CM’s position will definitely come to you someday in future,” he told a crowded press conference here on Friday.
A day after meeting Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in Delhi and expressing confidence in her leadership, Reddy said he would work as a disciplined party worker even if he was not given any positions of power. “I will leave the decision to madam (Sonia Gandhi) about my role in the Congress party. She is fully aware of what is happening in the state. I think that she will take a right call at the right time,” he added.
He refused to comment on Rosaiah’s performance as a chief minister. However, in an indirect dig at the state government, he said some of the key poll promises made by YSR — like increasing the quota of subsidised rice for the poor and duration of free power supply to farmers — were yet to be implemented.
“The surveys for identifying beneficiaries for pensions, ration cards and house sites are proceeding at a snail’s pace,” Reddy said adding that he, along with other MPs and MLAs, would keep a watch on the state government's performance in implementing YSR’s programmes.
Replying to a question, Reddy said there was nothing wrong in aspiring for the chief minister’s post. “If you were a son and if your father left some things unfinished and if you got a chance to fulfil that unfinished agenda, won’t you think that it is a God sent opportunity to complete the agenda?” he shot back.
He also urged the media not to speculate on his meeting with Sonia Gandhi. “It is not gentlemanly to disclose what transpired between me and my party president,” he pointed out.
