Political Diary

The tearing of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s flex banner at the Khammam District Congress Committee office allegedly by followers of Jaganmohan Reddy has snowballed into a major controversy with senior leaders sharpening their knives against the Jagan camp saying that no one is above the party and that even late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had won polls using the name of Sonia. With V Hanumantha Rao, K Kesava Rao and G Venkataswamy demanding that indiscipline should not be tolerated, CM K Rosaiah too closed the ranks by saying that those responsible for the act would be brought to book. He asked the PCC chief to debar the Congress workers involved in the incident from the party. Acting swiftly, PCC chief D Srinivas suspended four party activists on Sunday evening. In the night, Jagan camping in Bangalore expressed deep anguish over the developments. He said any violence is unacceptable and demanded stringent punishment for the attackers. His statement came after followers of Jagan Sena burnt two RTC buses in Rajahmundry. It was Hanumantha Rao who started the ‘Sonia bhajan’ in New Delhi on Sunday morning by questioning the PCC inaction against the miscreants who tore Sonia’s poster on Friday. "No one is above the party. Can anyone win an election without the blessings of Sonia Gandhi?" he sought to know. Hanumantha Rao said he would undertake a 48-hour ‘mouna vrath’ (silent protest) as a "true disciple" of Sonia if no action was initiated against the accused. Rajya Sabha member Keshava Rao and former MP Venkataswamy said it was time for the party to take a decisive action against dissidents for resorting to acts of violence in the name of Jagan Yuva Sena. Sources said angered by the high command’s dilly-dallying on the Jagan-as-CM issue, his followers led by district Grandhalya Samstha chairman Mohd Abid tore the flex banner carrying the pictures of Sonia and Renuka Chowdary during the teleconference held by the PCC chief for membership enrolment drive. Sabita orders probe: P 4 Sonia ‘agrees’ to meet Jagan in Oct first week The Congress high command has agreed to meet Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the first week of October, following a formal request from the latter. AICC sources said Jagan’s interaction with the high command would be more of thanksgiving session. The sources said Jagan’s meeting with the high command assumes significance in the backdrop of unruly developments within the state Congress, especially by YSR loyalists who have been trying to do everything possible to grab the attention of the high command. Sources said the high command enquired about Jagan’s public meeting at Nallkaluva in Kurnool district and sought reports from the IB, PCC chief, CWC members and other independent sources to gauge the tone and tenor of his speech. The Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi has reportedly asked her close aid to prepare a comprehensive report on the events that occurred in the state after YSR’s death and also assess the claims of strength by YSR loyalists. "The leadership is seized of the matter and is taking a fresh look at the claims of YSR loyalists, especially young leaders," the sources said. The Kadapa MP would also call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and other senior Congress leaders. Meanwhile, YSR loyalists were busy on Sunday discussing the reported request of CM K Rosaiah asking the high command to help him remain at the helm of affairs at least a day more than the tenure of the erstwhile chief minister Bhavanam Venkatram, who served the state from February 1982 to September 1982.