Y.S.Jagan in dilemma over campaign

To canvas or not in the upcoming GHMC polls. This is the big question that is weighing down Mr. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Kadapa MP, at the moment.

According to inner circles, Mr Reddy is yet to decide on the issue and has been discussing it with his mentor Dr K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.

When newsmen asked Mr Verappa Moily, incharge of Congress affairs in AP, about a formal invite to Mr Reddy to campaign, he evaded a straight answer and said it is the responsibility of every MP to campaign. Similarly, neither the Chief Minister, Mr Rosaiah, nor the PCC chief, Mr D. Srinivas, has so far asked Mr Reddy to campaign.

Mr Reddy’s camp, however, is considering the pros and cons of getting involved in the campaign. If he doesn’t campaign and the Congress wins in the polls, party

leaders will say he is no more interested in taking up his father’s agenda of serving the party. They will also claim that the party can win elections without him. This will damage the prospects of Mr Reddy, the camp felt.

In the worst case, if the Congress fares badly, Mr Reddy will be blamed for not campaigning and for preventing a Praja Rajyam-Congress tie-up.

In case he decides to campaign, credit for the victory will not go to Mr Reddy. Three out of seven Congress MLAs from the city Marri Sasidhara Reddy (Sanatnagar), Dr P. Shanker Rao (Secunderabad Cantonment) and Mr P. Vishnu Vardhana Reddy (Jubilee Hills) have decided not to invite Mr Reddy, it is not clear how other MLAs will react.