Jagan Mohan Reddy to walk out of jail today, his family doesn't rule out backing Congress

Hyderabad: Almost three years ago, Jagan Mohan Reddy quit the Congress in an act of rebellion and launched his own political party, the YSR Congress. Now, as he prepares to leave jail after 16 months, his family says the party expects to sweep the next elections in Andhra Pradesh and does not rule out backing the Congress at the Centre.

Mr Reddy's sister Sharmila, who has along with their mother been handling party affairs while Jagan has been in jail, said, "We will wash out other parties in Seemandhra...Jagan will also tour Telangana." She said the party is open on electoral alliances and is "keeping all the options ready." She, however, ruled out extending any support to the BJP-led NDA, saying the ideologies don't match.

But Sharmila, and Mr reddy's wife Bharati stoutly deny allegations made by political rivals that "a deal" with the ruling Congress has secured the YSR Congress chief's release from jail. He was granted bail yesterday in a corruption case. 

Bharati Reddy in fact, accuses the Congress and TDP of conniving to keep Jagan in jail all these months, which she describes as a "see saw of emotions." Mrs Reddy said, "The Congress minority government is being supported by the Telugu Desam Party. Other parties are so nervous, they wanted Jagan to stay in jail." (Watch)

Though the court has ordered Mr Reddy not to leave Hyderabad while out on bail, his release is expected to give a big fillip to the protests in the Seemandhra region against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana. The YSR Congress is the only party that has unambiguously taken a stand against the move to bifurcate the state.

Mr Reddy was arrested in May last year. The CBI alleges that private firms and individuals invested in his companies as a quid pro quo for government favours when his father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy was Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.

The TDP has called his getting bail "match-fixing". The party's chief Chandrababu Naidu said, "The way bail was granted to him and the manner in which the chargesheet against him was diluted only shows that there is a clear understanding between YSR Congress and Congress."