By IANS,
Hyderabad : Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, would succeed his father if the Congress central leadership considers him suitable for the post, YSR’s close confidante K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao said here Wednesday.
Ramachandra Rao, who is lobbying for Jagan for the top post, said the late chief minister’s son would abide by the leadership’s decision.
For the second consecutive day, ministers and party leaders who want to see 37-year-old Jagan as the chief minister, met KVP, as Ramachandra Rao is popularly known in political circles.
About a dozen ministers and some key leaders had called on KVP Tuesday amid speculations that they were discussing future course of action in case the leadership decides against naming Jagan, a first time MP, to carry his father’s mantle.
KVP declined to answer queries while some ministers said they hope the leadership would pick Jagan for the post.
“Why should we discuss it now? We will discuss it when the high command takes an unfavourable decision,” said minister for small scale industries D.K. Aruna, when reporters asked him if they were discussing future course of action.
KVP said the ministers called on him to know the outcome of his talks with the central leadership. The Rajya Sabha MP met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and other central leaders.
He tried to impress upon the leadership that the party would immensely benefit by naming Jagan as the chief minister as majority of 154 party legislators and 46 MPs were in his favour.
The delay in taking a decision has upset the YSR loyalists, some of whom had gone to the extent of threatening to split the party if Jagan was not given the top post.
Though ministers loyal to YSR are working under Chief Minister K. Rosaiah following a directive from the leadership, there is visible unease among them.
YSR and four others died in a helicopter crash on Sep 2 in the dense Nallamalla forests in Kurnool district. Finance Minister K. Rosaiah was sworn in as chief minister the next day but the leadership stated that it was only a temporary arrangement.