The Hindu : National : Jagan eyes Pulivendula Assembly seat

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Tuesday, Nov 30, 2010
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National

Jagan eyes Pulivendula Assembly seat

Ravi Reddy

Sister Sharmila may contest from Kadapa seat vacated by him

Jagan to hold consultations with well-wishers ahead of announcing his new party
Core team to identify a suitable name for the party and design for the flag

HYDERABAD: The former Congress MP, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, is planning to enter the Assembly from Pulivendula constituency, presently represented by his mother Y.S. Vijayalakshmi.

With his mother also tendering her resignation, the decks have been cleared for him to take a shot at the Assembly byelection whenever it is held. In all likelihood, his sister Sharmila would be persuaded to contest as an independent candidate from the Kadapa parliamentary constituency, which he quit on Monday.

Sources in the Jagan camp said that he would hold wide-ranging consultations with his well-wishers in Idupulapaya Estate on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of announcing the new party. A core team is working full time to identify a suitable name and design for the party flag. Chances of his aides contacting the person who registered the YSR Congress Party to part with the name are not ruled out.

Once the party is launched, he will extensively tour his native Kadapa district before embarking on the next phase of “Odarpu yatra” in Visakhapatnam district in January next. “The idea behind choosing Visakhapatnam is the good following his late father YSR enjoyed in the north Coastal districts,” a former Minister said. Supporters of Mr. Jagan do not see much difficulty in building the party organisation. “His ‘Odarpu yatra' in six districts has already given us a fair idea about the leaders and cadres loyal to him. During the yatra, he had carefully nurtured the weaker sections and the minorities,” a Congress MLA said. The former MP is said to be targeting these very sections to consolidate his position and is also banking on a major section of the youth in the Reddy community to throw its weight behind him.

It is understood that the MLAs who met him on Monday were clearly told that they should not resign under any circumstances. “He said the fight is between me and the high command. You will not become victims in that fight. I know how to take on the Congress leadership,” an MLA quoted him as saying.

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