Congress gets tough with Jaganmohan Reddy

In a first sign that the Congress leadership’s patience is running out with rebel MP and late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan, senior cabinet minister S Jaipal Reddy today called for disciplinary action against Jaganmohan.

Top sources in the Congress suggest the party is looking for an opportune time to strike back at Jaganmohan, who has started attacking the High Command through his Sakshi TV network.

The party’s disciplinary committee met last evening to take stock of the situation in Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, YS Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, claimed that Jaganmohan would come down to Delhi and express regret to the High Command for the recent developments in his channel. Vivekananda, a ministerial aspirant in the new Kiran Reddy cabinet, said he would accompany his nephew when he meets Gandhi.

Jaganmohan’s news channel had attacked party President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before criticising Rahul Gandhi for the dismal performance of the Congress in the Bihar elections.

Last week, the Congress swiftly changed its chief minister K Rosaiah and replaced him with Kiran Reddy, the Speaker in the Assembly, to diffuse Jaganmohan Reddy’s attack. The change of guard was also a signal to the rebel young MP that he has no place in the chief minister’s office right now.

As Sakshi TV’s attack on the party high command increased after this change of guard, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy today said, “Jaganmohan Reddy has violated party discipline and everyone knows that Sakshi TV is owned by him for his own political motives. This behaviour on his part is undesirable and the party High Command is looking into this matter and will take action in due course of time.”

Andhra Pradesh MP and Congress Working Committee member Kishore Chandra Deo echoed the sentiments and said, “The party must take action against Jaganmohan. He was never a threat for the party and can do no harm even if he is thrown out of the party. Jaganmohan Reddy is a wayward child.”