It was exactly this day nine years ago that a first step was made towards creating a new history in Andhra Pradesh politics.
The step was for the formation of a new regional party in the state and the burial of more than 125-year old national party.
On November 29, 2010, then Congress MP from Kadapa Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy resigned from his Lok Sabha seat and also from the party, raising a banner of revolt against the Congress high command which tried to split his family and humiliating the family of late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy who was responsible for bringing the grand old party to power twice in Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan’s mother Y S Vijayalakshmi too resigned as Congress MLA from Pulivendula constituency in Kadapa in support of her son. He announced floating of a new political party – YSR Congress.
Jagan wrote a strongly-worded letter to Congress president Sonia expressing unhappiness over the way he and his mother were ill-treated by the party for launching the Odarpu Yatra across the state.
He even hinted at a conspiracy to kill his father and called the helicopter crash probe an eyewash.
Many felt that Jagan had taken a big risk by quitting the Congress party and even senior leaders close to him reportedly suggested to him to come to a compromise with Sonia Gandhi. But Jagan did not relent and decided to go ahead.
Expectedly, Jagan had to face a lot of troubles from the Congress-led centre, especially in the form of a CBI case into his alleged disproportionate assets and was jailed for 16 months. Yet, he never compromised on his principles and self-respect.
Nine years down the line, Jagan had achieved what he aspired for – the chief minister’s post to complete the unfinished welfare agenda of his father YSR who died in a tragic helicopter crash.
The people have given him a massive mandate, which was unprecedented in the history of Andhra Pradesh, whether it was a combined state or a residuary state – 151 MLAs and 22 MPs with nearly 50 per cent vote share.
And what has happened to the Congress? It has completely disintegrated and virtually disappeared from the political scene of the state. If people talk about the Congress now, it is only YSR Congress. That is a new chapter in Andhra’s political history!
