Support builds for YSR's son to take over

Will the Congress select YSR's son as his successor?

Andhra ministers and MLAs have sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi, formally expressing their support for YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. There are reports that the ministers backing YSR's son as CM will meet on Saturday.

"It will be a decision by consensus, but it must reflect the will of the people," says Veerappa Moily, the Law Minister, whose also in charge of Andhra Pradesh for his party. This hints that the party is aware of the huge support being expressed locally for YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, the party doesn't want to encourage infighting, so Moily has said he will return to Andhra in 10 days to decide the matter.

The Congress has clarified that while Finance Minister K Rosaiah has been sworn in as the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, this is a temporary arrangement.

So after YSR, who?  Jagan Mohan Reddy who is a first-time MP with a controversial media business that has been accused of corruption. S Jaipal Reddy, the Urban Development Leader is also in the running. NT Rama Rao's daughter, currently a junior minister for Human Resource Development is the third contender. Finally, there's D Srinivas, the president of the state Congress party, who belongs to a backward caste.