Another legislator quits Congress, two more call on Jagan's mother

Hyderabad, May 31 (IANS) Jailed Member of Parliament Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy received a shot in the arm Thursday with another legislator resigning from the ruling Congress party and two more showing solidarity with him.

A day after Krishna Ranga Rao resigned from the Congress party to join YSR Congress, another legislator Alla Nani announced that he too was quitting the ruling party.

Nani, who represents Eluru constituency, made the announcement after he called on Jagan in Chanchalguda Central Jail. He said he would actively campaign for YSR Party from Friday in the by-elections.

The Central Bureau of Investigation last Sunday arrested Jagan in a disproportionate assets case. The next day, he was sent to judicial custody till June 11 by a special CBI court.

The disciplinary committee of the state unit of the Congress party had issued show cause notices to both Nani and Ranga Rao for moving closer to Jagan.

Meanwhile, two more legislators called on Jagan's mother and YSR Party honorary president Vijayamma and expressed their solidarity.

Congress legislator from Kakinada D. Chandrasekhar Reddy and another legislator, Jayamani from Parvathipuram called on Vijayamma in Visakhapatnam, where she is campaigning for the party.

Chandrasekhara Reddy had told reporters that he would stand by the family of YSR in the crisis time.

Reddy said he would consult his followers over the next two days before taking a decision on resigning from Congress party.

According to Jayamani, she too would decide her future course of action after consulting her followers.

Political observers feel the switching of loyalties by Congress legislators would strengthen YSR Party in the run up to June 12 by-elections to one Lok Sabha and 18 assembly seats.

The by-elections were caused by the legislators crossing over to Jagan's camp during the voting on no-confidence motion against the Congress government in the state assembly in December last year.