A day after the former MP, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, announced his party's name as YSR Congress Party, he released the tricolour party flag at his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's samadhi in Idupulapaya on Saturday afternoon at a simple ceremony.
The flag has three vertical strips of blue, white and green, in that order from the left with YSR's portrait in the centre. Symbols of nine government schemes conceived during YSR's rule are placed in a circular fashion around the portrait.
Mr. Jagan and his mother Vijayalakshmi placed the flag at the samadhi and paid respects to YSR in the presence of Hindu, Muslim and Christian religious leaders, besides several party leaders.
Earlier, the entire family, including Ms. Vijayalakshmi, her daughter Sharmila and her husband arrived by helicopter and released the flag at a pre-fixed muhurtam .
The symbols depicting the schemes around YSR's portrait were for ‘pavala vaddi', Rajiv Arogyasri, fee reimbursement, Jalayagnam, Indiramma housing, old age pension, Rs. 2 a kg rice scheme, free power to farmers and house site pattas.
A group of party activists carried the flag and went around exhibiting it to the waiting media while five large balloons carrying the party's name were hoisted.
Mr. Jagan did not address the gathering or speak to the media as an official handed over a letter to his aides citing the election code that barred hoisting of the party flag and conduct of a public meeting.
Those present were N. Padmanabha Reddy, brother of ex-Chief Minister, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, MP, Konda Murali and Pulla Padmavathi, MLCs, G. Srikanth Reddy, C. Adinarayana Reddy, A. Amarnatha Reddy, P.M. Kamalamma, MLAs, Bhooma Nagi Reddy, ex-MP, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Konda Surekha and M. Mareppa, ex-Ministers, B. Karunakara Reddy, ex-TTD chairman, Ambati Rambabu, Gattu Ramachandra Rao, Bajireddy Goverdhan, Gone Prakasa Rao, ex-MLAs, and Chittoor ZP chief Narayana Reddy.
