Hyderabad, November 29
The political potboiler in Andhra Pradesh reached a climax today with rebel MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy resigning from the Congress and gearing up to launch a new party to capitalise on the legacy of his father and former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy.

In a hard-hitting, five-page letter to party president Sonia Gandhi, he accused the leadership of trying to create a rift in his family by offering a cabinet berth to his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy. Along with Jagan, his mother and YSR’s widow Vijayalakshmi also quit the Assembly and primary membership of the party.

Hitting out at the leadership for playing “disgusting politics behind his back”, the 38-year-old first-time MP, however, assured that he would not destabilise the government and appealed to his followers not to resign.

Taking a high moral ground, he said, “You may be apprehensive that I might bring down the government. I am appealing to all MLAs who adore my late father and who love me - please do not resign for my sake.”

Jagan’s exit comes as a culmination of his bitter stand-off with the high command. Soon after the death of YSR in a helicopter crash on September 2 last year, an emotional campaign was launched to anoint Jagan as the Chief Minister, but the party rejected his claim. Later, defying the high command’s diktat, he carried out the controversial “Odarpu Yatra” (consolation tour), ostensibly to console the families of those who died of shock or committed suicide following YSR’s death. The flash point came when Sakshi TV, owned by the rebel leader, ran a series of stories last week, attacking the leadership of Sonia and questioning the capabilities of Rahul.

New Delhi: The Congress nonchalantly dismissed resignation of YS Jaganmohan Reddy from the Lok Sabha and primary membership of the party saying the Kadapa MP was the best person to explain why he took the step and that the party had nothing much to add except that the organisation was always bigger than individuals.

“It is for him (Jagan) to elaborate why he resigned, the Congress doesn’t have to say anything on this. All I can say is history shows that the party is greater than individuals,” a party spokesman said.