The former MP, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, embarked on his Delhi tour in a special train on Sunday, accompanied by about a dozen legislators and scores of elected representatives of local bodies to undertake a day-long fast on January 11 against the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal verdict.
More MLAs are expected to leave for New Delhi on Monday to join his ‘Jala Deeksha' and cause a major embarrassment to the party's central leadership. It is believed that at least 25 MLAs are planning to participate in the protest.
Platform jampacked
As Mr. Jagan arrived to board the train, platform number 10 at Secunderabad station was virtually taken over by YSR loyalists and the former MP's supporters. All the 21 coaches in the special train were packed to capacity. In all 1,500 farmers, local body representatives and several Congress leaders too boarded the train.
Mr. Jagan arrived at Secunderabad station around 2.35 p.m. and the train left an hour behind schedule. Frenzied crowds mobbed him and raised slogans hailing his leadership and the proposed deeksha in Delhi.
MLAs – Gurunatha Reddy (Anantapur Urban), T. Balaraju (Polavaram), B. Sivaprasada Reddy (Darsi), Kunja Satyavati (Bhadrachalam), Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka), K. Srinivasulu (Kodur), N. Amarnath Reddy (Rajampet) and G. Srikant Reddy (Rayachoti) accompanied him.
Also on board were MLC Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, close aide of Jagan, Mr Ambati Rambabu, half a dozen former MLAs, NTR TDP chief N. Lakshmi Parvati and actor Vijayachander.
Dharna at Jantar Mantar
According to the protest programme, Mr.Jagan along with the others will sit on dharna at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday for a day to highlight farmers' woes and the injustice in the KWDT award to the State.
