After accusing chief minister K Rosaiah of arm-twisting MLAs not to root for him and take part in Odarpu Yatra, MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy sang paeans in praise of Tuni MLA Raja Ashok Babu for standing by him.
On the second day of his yatra at Kotanandur mandal in East Godavari district on Tuesday, Jagan applauded the MLA for "listening to his conscience" and accompanying him during his yatra.
"I really appreciate Raja Babu's commitment. I owe a great deal to him. Since my arrival in East Godavari from Srikakulam, he has been with me," the Kadapa MP said. While Kakinada MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy and former minister Mudragada Padmanabham accompanied him, Razole MLA R Varaprasad made a quick exit after meeting him in the morning.
When contacted, Raja Ashok Babu said he had decided to welcome Jagan and participate in the yatra despite knowing the high command line. "I took part as six workers who died after YSR's demise belonged to my constituency. They were my voters and also Congress workers. I cannot ignore their families. It was my responsibility to take Jagan to their houses," he told TOI.
Curiously, Jagan stopped hitting out at CM Rosaiah or the high command. He confined himself to eulogising his father, late YSR and acknowledging the people's love and affection for their family since the death of YSR during his roadshows.
Sources said AICC secretary in-charge of AP affairs Veerappa Moily had sent feelers to Jagan to remain calm and told him to stop attacking the CM and the party leadership in public. "It would tarnish the image of the party if an MP of Jagan's repute washes dirty linen in public. So, he was asked to mend his attacking ways for the good of the party and the government in the state," sources said.
It is learnt that Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar had also passed on some "words of wisdom" to Jagan when he called on the MP at Tuni on Monday night. Refusing to divulge what transpired between him and Jagan, Arun Kumar told TOI he was always close to YSR family and that he visited Jagan since he happened to be in East Godavari. Denying that AICC leader Ahmed Patel had given him a "dressing down" for meeting Jagan, the MP said nobody had called him either to stop him from meeting Jagan or admonished him for calling on the young MP.
Meanwhile, a Jagan loyalist MLA not wanting to be named said, "Jagan did not launch a signature campaign seeking MLAs' support immediately after his father's death." He said Jagan's only concern was continuation of YSR's welfare schemes as a large section of people have directly benefited from them.
