No dissidence as all 34 Andhra ministers are sworn in

All 34 ministers of the YS Reddy cabinet were sworn in again in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, this time under K Rosaiah as chief minister. Earlier in the day, there was open support for Jagan Mohan to be made CM at a condolence meet for his father, prompting him to make an appeal for restraint.

YS Reddy was killed in a helicopter crash on last Wednesday, and senior Congressman K Rosaiah was appointed chief minister.

Three ministers, supporters of the demand to make Jagan YSR's successor, had reportedly indicated earlier that they would not take oath under Rosaiah, but eventually all 34 ministers were sworn in.

This came after the condolence meeting for YS Reddy at the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in Hyderabad, which turned into a show of support for Jagan Mohan. Jagan's supporters started shouting slogans demanding that he succeed his father as Andhra chief minister.

Jagan Mohan, who returned to Hyderabad from Kadapa, issued a four-page appeal to his partymen, asking them to show restraint and not take "extreme steps". He asked them, "with folded hands to stop such activities by going to the media, signature campaigns, using of banners, placards, demonstrations etc for my leadership as successor..." (Full text: Jagan's appeal to Congressmen)

He said party chief Sonia Gandhi would decide who would be the next Andhra chief minister and requested his supporters to wait for and abide by that decision. He also said that, like his father, he was "duty-bound to be a loyal and disciplined Congress worker."

He added: "Sonia Gandhi respects the public perception and feelings of lakhs of Congress Party workers and she knows too well what is good for all of us and what is good for our state and people," he said.

There has been an overwhelming clamour for Jagan Mohan to be made chief minister. At the condolence meet, the state Congress chief could not even speak because of the sloganeering. Chief Minister K Rosaiah was also present in the meeting, as were D Purandeshwari and Jaipal Reddy from the centre. YSR's supporters also demanded that he be awarded the Bharat Ratna.