Rebellion is not unknown to the family of former MP Yaduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy, or simply Jagan as he is popularly known. His father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, had been a perennial Congress rebel until he became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 2004.
However, while his father remained a Gandhi family loyalist all through his dissident activity, Jagan has dared to take on Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
An industrialist-turned-politician, Jagan is a man in a hurry. It took 25 years of struggle for his father to secure the coveted post of CM. And, 38-year-old Jagan, who was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2009, has no patience to wait that long.
Even before the charred body of his father, who died in a helicopter crash on September 2 last year, was buried, a swift, emotional campaign to anoint him as successor was launched. But Gandhi was in no mood to fulfil his ambition. For the party high command, he was the enfant terrible, who brazenly tried to take over the reins of the state.
Nurtured in a feudal culture of the faction-ridden Rayalaseema region, Jagan’s views are different. “Is it a sin to be ambitious? If you were in my position, would you not aspire to take on the mantle to carry forward the good work of your father?” he countered when questioned about his claim to the chief minister’s post.
Restless at being ignored for the coveted post, Jagan rebelled within a month of his father’s death and continued to provoke the Congress central leadership until he, along with mother Vijayalaxmi, resigned from the primary membership of the party this week. Now, Jagan wants to float his own political party. He can afford to do so. He has the money, Telugu daily Sakshi and a television channel by the same name — besides his father’s cronies — to take him forward in this endeavour.
Ever since his father became chief minister for the first time in 2004, Jagan’s wealth increased phenomenally. From a small-time realtor in Bangalore, he emerged as a high-profile industrialist with interests in power, infrastructure, mining and cement, besides media.
With patronage from his doting father, Jagan’s declared earnings increased from Rs 9.19 lakh in 2003-04 to Rs 77.40 crore in 2009. He paid advance tax of Rs 84 crore for the first six months of 2010-11, against tax of Rs 6.72 crore for 2009-10. In April, Jagan is reported to have received over Rs 3,000 crore through the sale of his stake in Bharathi Cement Corporation. Born on December 21, 1972, Jagan is the only son of YSR, who wanted to groom him as his political successor. This became evident when YSR persuaded brother YS Vivekananda Reddy to resign from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 2005 to pave the way for Jagan’s election. The move was scuttled by Gandhi.
Even today, Jagan’s political strategy is mainly centred on his father. He wants to cash in on his father’s popularity and the sympathy generated following his death. He knows that the sympathy factor may not last long. So, he embarked upon the ‘Odarpu Yatra’ (consolation tour) much against the wishes of Gandhi ostensibly to console the families of those who died of shock or committed suicide in the aftermath of his father’s death.
The latest stand-off between him and the party high command was a programme aired by his Sakshi TV on November 19 denigrating Gandhi. Following this, the party leadership acted swiftly and anointed 50-year-old N Kiran Kumar Reddy as chief minister to checkmate Jagan.
Now, Jagan is aware that he has burnt the bridge with the party supremo and that he would never be considered for the CM’s post. With no other option to pursue his ambition, he quit the Congress.
Explaining the reasons for his resignation, Jagan, however, said the “last straw was the conspiracy that is being hatched to vertically split the family” of YSR by the party leadership. He alleged that uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy was lured to accept a ministerial berth in the state “thereby paving the way for fissures in the family”.
His uncle, however, denied Jagan’s allegations and declared he would continue in the Congress party. He has also joined Kiran Kumar Reddy’s ministry.
Political observers point out that what Jagan is doing today could be compared to what Sharad Pawar did in 1999. But the moot question is whether Jagan will be as successful as Pawar. For now, though, the ruling Congress has a tough time in the state.
