New Delhi:
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who staged a rally in Delhi on Tuesday, where he was on a hunger strike, was detained by the Delhi Police and later released in the evening. Soon after, he ended his fast.
Jagan's fast was officially to protest against what he describes as the "injustice" delivered to Andhra's farmers by a recent verdict on the waters of the River Krishna. But the not-so-secret agenda was to taunt the Congress on its own turf by highlighting that Jagan is now a credible political opponent. (
Read: Jagan takes direct aim at Congress in Delhi)
YSR's son was accompanied by 24 Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh - 20 MLAs, two members of legislative councils, and two MPs.
Tuesday's public show of support by Congress leaders, Jagan says, is a precursor to a more formal bond. "I am a gentleman," he said. "And I'm doing the Congress a favour by not asking my people to resign. If I wanted to, I could've done that a long time back. The government would've fallen. But my people are very clear that in 2014, they will contest not on a Congress ticket but on my party's ticket." (
Watch)
The Congress party reacted by stating that their government is not under any threat. "Let me put any fears to rest. Congress government in Andhra was never, is not and will never be under any threat," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said. That did not help save face, especially as its flock voiced opinions far more freely than the party presumably prefers. Jai Sudha, a Congress MLA from Secundarabad, said, "YSR was my mentor. I've always been his follower and so it goes without saying that I will follow Jagan. I respect the Congress and Sonia ji but I will always follow Jagan." She added, "If the party initiates disciplinary action, we're prepared."
To add to the show of defiance in Delhi, Congress MPs from Telangana in Hyderabad demanded that the bill for the formation of Telangana be introduced in Parliament in the Budget Session.
"We know that if we resign, party will not give Telangana. We want to be in the party and pressurise our party. We want to bring the Bill in Parliament," said Congress MP Rajgopal Reddy.
The big question now is: Just how will the Congress counter the Jagan challenge in Andhra? Also, will it take any action against its legislators who have openly defied the party high command? For now the party is putting up a brave front.
Jagan quit the Congress last month after a 14-month long rebellion that began when his father, YSR Reddy, died in a helicopter crash, and this party did not pick Jagan to replace him.
He has announced that he is setting up his own party, named after his father, who was legendary in Andhra Pradesh for his popularity among voters.