Andhra's 'fast' politics

In the season of merry-making and feasting, Andhra Pradesh politics is all about fasting instead. First it was Chandrababu Naidu's fast and now, Jaganmohan Reddy, who recently announced his divorce from the Congress party, has begun a 48-hour hunger strike in Vijayawada.

Jagan too is espousing the cause of farmers as his opening gambit in preparation for launching his political party in mid-February. It is also his birthday - he turns 38 - and his supporters are hoping for a turnout of about four lakh people over the two days as a birthday gift.

Jagan's first political campaign after he quit the Congress is called the Lakshya Deeksha. Lakshya also means lakh, for the lakhs expected to attend. Arrangements are being made for about one lakh people at the venue.

Jagan is sitting on hunger strike on a huge stage on the banks of the Krishna river, with big tents pitched and scores of people already gathered. A massive Jagan hoarding dominates the scene.

Jagan, who reached Vijayawada from Nandyal in Kurnool district early in the morning, visited the Kanaka Durga temple and worshiped the Goddess.

Several MLAs, MLCs, former legislators and some film stars extended support to the son of the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, while scores of people from Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari and other districts reached the camp site extending their solidarity.

MLAs Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Jayasudha Kapoor, G Srikanth Reddy, Konda Surekha, Alla Nani, N Prasanna Kumar Reddy, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy, Gurunatha Reddy, Ramachandra Reddy, MLCs Pulla Padmavathi, Konda Murali, Jupudi Prabhakar, actress Roja, actors Vijayachander, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, former minister Konatala Ramakrishna, NTR's widow Lakshmi Parvathi and others were present on the dais along with Jagan.

Jagan is tapping into huge political potential. Farmers in the coastal belt lost much of their Kharif crop in the rains. They are so desperate that they will take any help that comes their way and many say they also want to see YSR Reddy's son in flesh and blood.