Defiant Congress MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to kick off the third phase of his controversial 'Odarpu' yatra that could further shrink his support base among his lawmaker colleagues.
Defiant Congress MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to kick off the third phase of his controversial 'Odarpu' yatra that could further shrink his support base among his lawmaker colleagues who are now toeing the party line.
Jagan, who has completed two spells of the yatra in several parts of the state despite party chief Sonia Gandhi advising against it, will address a rally in the temple town of Tirupati on September 2 on the occasion of the first death anniversary of his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
The next day, he will resume the yatra to console the relatives of those who either allegedly committed suicide or died of shock after the hearing the news of the death of his father YSR in Prakasam district.
Jagan's plan could isolate him from his party MPs and MLAs, who have now fallen in line after the party high command told them discreetly not to associate themselves with the yatra as the Congress does not approve of it.
The party does not subscribe to Jagan's assertion that it is a "personal" trip as it feels the tour has all the political overtones.
But Jagan's camp denies that the party has told the MPs and MLAs not to participate in the yatra and maintains it is a personal tour.
The party had last week summoned some of the MLAs from the district, including Union minister D Purandeswari's husband Venkateswara Rao, and told them to keep away when the Kadapa MP visits the district during 'Odarpu' yatra.
The MLAs have now decided not to join the yatra and Jagan also suffered a setback when his supporter and Ongole MP Srinivasula Reddy announced he would not be joining the tour.
Last week, Telangana MPs, including those considered close to Jagan, publicly attacked him for his defiant attitude and threw their weight behind Sonia Gandhi, saying they were with her and not any "individual".
But, the Jagan camps seems to be unfazed over the developments.
"He (Jagan) is going ahead with the yatra," Ambatti Rambabu, who was suspended from the Congress for publicly criticising Rosaiah, told PTI. He also denied Jagan having got any directive from the party asking to cancel the yatra.
"We have not got any deliberate advice (from the party high command)," Ramababu said.
Jagan's act of defying the high command has turned even some of his friends into foes.
For instance, Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar, who was at
the forefront of the 'Jagan for CM' campaign, now says it is good for both party and Jagan if the yatra does not take place.
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