Congress Undemocratic Ideology - 4

[ramana]

Op-ed Pioneer, 23 July 2010

Double trouble in Deccan



Kalyani Shankar



Jaganmohan and the Reddy brothers of Bellary have more in common than their surname: They are a headache for their respective Government



The Congress and the BJP appear to be sailing in the same boat in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The three Reddys — Mr YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh and Mr Janardhana Reddy and Mr Karunakara Reddy in Karnataka — hold the key to the survival of the two State Governments.



Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is unable to drop the powerful Bellary brothers from his Cabinet while the Congress high command is hesitant in taking action against the defiant Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.



Interestingly, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy is believed to be the business partner of the Reddy brothers whom his father had allegedly promoted earlier. Both have enormous clout in terms of money and muscle power and enjoy the support of a section of MLAs whom they had financed during the previous election. The Reddy brothers also have powerful backers in New Delhi.



The Congress is facing problems from Andhra Pradesh after the untimely death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter accident last September. Since then, the Andhra Pradesh Government has had to contend with law and order problems due to the Telangana agitation as well as floods and financial crisis. Now with the Telugu Desam chief, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu, raising the Sriram Sagar barrage issue in Maharashtra, the Opposition, too, is turning on the heat.



Mr Jaganmohan Reddy has become the latest headache for the Congress. When he and his mother met the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, some time ago, he was warned not to create problems for the party. But the adamant young MP is continuing his Odarpu Yatra, ostensibly to console the kin of those who died after his father’s death. The Congress high command is reluctant to install him as the Chief Minister, induct him in the Union Council of Ministers, or give him a position in the AICC.



Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s support base among legislators may have dwindled considerably as compared to last year but there is still danger for the K Rosaiah Government if he orders his supporters to resign. If Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi, with whom the Congress has made up ahead of the recent Rajya Sabha elections, decides to bail out, the numbers are quite precarious. The first priority for the Congress is to save the Government using every trick in the book.



Why is Mr Jaganmohan Reddy testing the patience of the party leaders? First of all, Mr Rosaiah has not been able to settle down so far. He has proved to be a weak Chief Minister who looks up to the guidance of the Centre for every step. Second, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy is testing the waters by undertaking the Odarpu Yatra before floating his own outfit if nothing else works. With his enormous monetary clout he has been able to draw good crowds despite the Congress stopping legislators from attending his meetings. Third, forces against the Congress are trying to help Mr Jaganmohan Reddy indirectly.



Expectations are that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy may not be touched for some time. For one thing, the Congress high command does not want a sympathy surge for him even before the first death anniversary of YS Rajasekhara Reddy in September. Second, by-elections are scheduled in a dozen constituencies. The Congress does not want to create any confusion just ahead of the polls. Third, saving the Government is more important than anything else. If Mr Jaganmohan Reddy revolts, the 30-odd MLAs with him may also resign. Fourth, the party does not want to trigger any revolt during the ongoing Assembly session.



Is there any connection in the political developments in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka? BJP insiders claim that the drama, which unfolded in Karnataka last week is an extension of politics in Andhra Pradesh. According to them, the Congress is targeting the Reddy brothers because it wants to kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, the Reddy brothers would face the music for their friendship with Mr Jaganmohan Reddy and on the other they could react and destabilise the Yeddyurappa Government.



The Reddy brothers have been in the centre of controversy for a while. First, the Chief Minister, himself, wanted to clip their wings last October but they won the first round. Now, the Congress is alleging illegal mining of iron ore by the brothers.



The Congress feels that by cutting off the Reddy brothers, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy could be weakened. The crisis reached a crescendo when the Governor, Mr HR Bhardwaj, took the battle to New Delhi by complaining about the alleged irregularities to the President as well as the Home Minister.