‘Jagan wants to come to power on popular mandate’

My son is confident of winning the next elections: Vijayamma

HYDERABAD:ANDHRA PRADESH:12/12/2012:YSR Congress president Y.S. Vijayamma given an interview to The Hindu in Ranga Reddy District on Wednesday.--PHOTO:G_RAMAKRISHNA

YSR Congress honorary president Y. S. Vijayamma has said that her son Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy is keen on coming to power through popular mandate and not by bringing down the Congress government that was brought to power by late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

“My son is confident of wining the next elections as people are solidly behind our party,” she said. Ms. Vijayamma said somewhere in Jagan’s heart there was a feeling that the present government was the result of YSR’s hard work. “He wants to show to the people the support he enjoys by winning the next elections comfortably,” she said.

“It is the TDP, which has to take the initiative, but it does not want to upset the Congress government’s applecart. My party does not have the strength to bring down the government,” she added.

Ms. Vijayamma was speaking to

The Hindu at Sirigiripuram in this mandal headquarters about 40 km from here, where she came to meet her daughter Sharmila, whose ‘Maro Praja Prasthanam’ padayatra entered the 56 day.

During the interaction, Ms. Vijayamma spoke about Telangana statehood issue, party’s prospects in the region, Jagan’s jail life, her daughter’s padayatra and the Congress and the TDP’s criticism of her party. Ms. Vijayamma said the present regime failed to continue the legacy of YSR and people were fed up with the government. “No amount of disinformation campaign against us is going to make the difference with the voters,” she said. She claimed that several Congress MLAs were sending feelers to her to join the YSR Congress. Jagan is very choosy about taking these MLAs and is strictly going by the survey and assessment reports that are sent to him regularly from the field.

The YSRC honorary president said her party was getting good response from the people in Telangana and many Congress leaders were joining the party. “I am extensively touring the region. I will be in Adilabad district on December 17 and 28 to attend meetings organised by former MP A. Indrakaran Reddy and Koneru Konappa,” she pointed out.

She exuded confidence that her son would come out of jail shortly. “The 90 day period to file charge sheet ends on January 3. I am confident that Jagan may not be kept in the jail for a longer period,” she said. Ms Vijayamma said he would take over the padayatra once out of jail.