Political Diary

Perhaps with the objective of allowing emotions to subside, the party high command has taken the position that it will deal with the succession issue only after the mourning period ends even as it keenly assesses the situation in the state. The momentum to make Jagan the CM has not ebbed so far, and Congress is keeping a wary eye on developments.

By swiftly swearing-in veteran K Rosaiah, the leadership has certainly bought itself some time and going by the look of things, the 77-year-old leader could have to hold fort for a while till the Congress leadership sorts out the claims in the state in the wake of a large power vacuum caused by the death of YSR.

The Congress leadership is genuinely desirous of keeping the interests of YSR’s family in mind given the tragic nature of his demise and proximity to 10, Janpath, but it is wary of an impression being created that it was served a fait accompli. It is also keen that the Andhra Pradesh unit does not break down into warring factions as was often the scene before the late CM consolidated his hold on power after 2004.

The charge of the YSR brigade is, however, likely to create a ticklish situation as it will inevitably have the shades of a "state versus Centre" conflict. This could mean the high command has to accommodate Jagan Reddy even as it hunts for an acceptable face. This dilemma is acute as there is no clear choice in sight.

Factions who were opposed to YSR and shut out of the scene completely were quick to claim that the campaign for Jagan was being "stage-managed" by persons, including a Rajya Sabha MP, close to the dead leader. They said no "senior" MP was keen to associate with the campaign. But one of them did agree that there was no other easily identifiable choice and that younger MLAs and MPs had veered towards the son.

Congress leadership is also thinking hard of the consequences of putting a young Jagan Reddy in the CM’s chair. He may find out that he has bitten rather more than anticipated while others ran the show. In the circumstances, it would be useful to persevere with Rosaiah till it was possible to arrive at a calmer decision.

The visit of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the bereaved family, besides a clutch of central leaders, shows that the show of solidarity with the family could help deal with the succession issue.

Sources said the leadership was still to apply its mind to the issue but the two emissaries on the ground, Union ministers and AICC leaders Prithviraj Chavan and Veerappa Moily, have gained a sense of the mood after YSR’s exit from the scene. The preparations will be made accordingly.

Congress is looking for a blend of seniority and loyalty, a combination which goes against Jagan Reddy. It has sought to downplay the campaign in favour of his installation as CM in Hyderabad, calling it an "emotional outburst" to avoid having to take a serious look against it.

That the Centre does not take a favourable view of the Jagan-as-CM campaign came out when AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed on Friday called it a "moment of tragedy and mourning" while advising "there should not be any politics on it".

With few genuine replacements at hand, insiders don’t rule out giving a more than "interim arrangement" form to Rosaiah. Sources said a failure to find an acceptable face could see the old hand hang on to the hot seat. His hailing from a "neutral" Vaishya caste outside the contending Reddy and Kamma communities is seen as a soothing factor on the volatile turf.

There is always the option of accommodating Jagan Reddy at the Centre, something he may not be averse to in his bid to consolidate his father’s political legacy. The young son has both the family’s political and business interests to protect.