YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is under judicial custody, was brought under heavy police escort to the Assembly on Thursday to cast his vote in the Presidential elections.
Mr. Jagan arrived in the Assembly at 12.20 pm amid tight security arrangements. The YSRCP MLAs, barring his mother Y.S. Vijayamma who arrived an hour earlier, waited at the designated entry point to receive him.
Police made elaborate arrangements to receive Mr. Jagan as well as former Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana who is also lodged in Chanchalguda central prison in connection with the Vanpic land allotment case.
As Mr. Jagan alighted from the bullet proof vehicle, the waiting MLAs raised slogans "Jai Jagan" and accompanied him into the polling station area. Mr. Jagan greeted all those present with a smile.
When he reached the polling station inside Committee Hall, there were no voters waiting to cast their votes. He returned in less than 10 minutes after casting the vote and left in a convoy of vehicles to the jail.
Another significant feature was the presence of the TDP MLAs, Chinnam Ramakotaiah and Y. Balanagi Reddy who defied the party's decision to abstain from the Presidential election. Interestingly, rebel Congress MLA Sujay Ranga Rao sported YSR Congress scarf before going inside to vote.
Polling began amid tight security with the Speaker Nadendla Manohar casting his vote first. Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister C.Damodar Raj Narasimha, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana were among those, who cast their votes.
YSR Congress MLAs - B.Karunakar Reddy and Kapu Ramachandra Reddy told reporters that voting for Mr. Mukherjee did not mean that they had an understanding with the Congress. "Congress Party is our first enemy and we are party, which is in the forefront of agitations," Mr.Karunakar Reddy said. Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said even if the YSR Congress stayed away from the voting, they woudl have been blamed by the critics. TDP, TRS and CPI abstained from the voting.
