Congress should have made Jagan the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

G_PramodKumar

The central leadership of the Congress made an irreversible mistake of wasting the legacy of YS Rajasekhara Reddy in Andhra Pradesh by ignoring his son when he staked his claim for the chief ministership. YSR was one of the most bankable Congress leaders in India who delivered back to back victories in 2004 and 2009 and won every election he contested. Perhaps the Congress high command was wrongly advised that anybody with the Congress mantle can repeat the YSR magic. It would be naive to assume that the high command didn't notice his son's wealth ballooning while he was in power and that it realised only posthumously that "the champion of social welfare schemes," was corrupt. In dynasty politics, the legacy lives through the family and Jagan knew that all too well. The Congress in fact had a second chance to rectify their mistake - the landslide victories and record margins of Jagan Reddy and his mother, when they contested in 2011 on behalf of YSR Congress, should have changed the party's strategy. Now it is too late. They should have made Jagan the Chief Minister and retained AP. If the party can offer "zero-loss" theories on monumental scandals, why not invent some lame excuse to retain its political base.read less read more

Arun George

Jagan Reddy, was never part of Andhra Pradesh politics till his father passed away. Returning from the political wilderness he wanted to be the Chief Minister of a state where he was hardly part of the political scenario. Making him Chief Minister would have meant alienating the Congress party workers in the state, endorsing the YSR regime’s corruption and ensuring the party’s fortunes went downhill. However, now with Jagan‘s riches laid bare in cases of corruption the Congress has a better shot in the next state elections.read less read more