NEW DELHI, July 9: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was on Saturday elected “president for lifetime” of his Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP).
The decision was taken at the concluding day of the YSRCP’s two-day plenary held at Guntur after an amendment to the party’s constitution.
YS Vijayalakshmi, mother of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had on Friday resigned as the honourary president of the party and had announced her intention to join her daughter YS Sharmila’s party in the neighbouring Telangana. Sharmila floated YSR Telangana Party last year with a view to fight the assembly polls in the state.
Party’s Parliamentary Party Leader Vijayasai Reddy also supported her stand saying that support was required for Sharmila in Telangana at present. “Support for YS Sharmila is required in Telangana at this time… Our present party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be made lifetime president of YSRCP. In this plenary, a proposal was mooted,” he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy formed the YSRCP in March 2011 after severing ties with the Congress and has held the post of party president while his mother Vijayamma has been honorary president. Vijayamma said on Friday that when Jagan Mohan Reddy was in trouble she was with him and now she should support her daughter.
“I am thinking of stepping aside from this party. Sharmila is fighting alone. As Rajasekhara Reddy’s wife and mother of Sharmila I have to stand with her, my heart tells me,” Vijayamma had said at the party’s national plenary.
“When he (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) was in trouble I was with him, now he is happy here. My daughter (YS Sharmila) is fighting alone, if I don’t support her, it will be injustice…I am telling you all about this and I request all to forgive me,” she added. Telangana will go for assembly polls next year.
(Manas Dasgupta)
