At KCR’s home, Jagan’s memories come alive

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, May 26

When Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-in-waiting, Jaganmohan Reddy went to meet K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) at Pragathi Bhawan, the Telangana Chief Minister’s official residence, he had tears in his eyes. 

It was after a decade he was visiting the place where he once received the body of his father and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), who died in an air crash while holding office.

Jagan’s wife Bharathi, who accompanied him, too was “numb” at the visit because it is here that she and Jagan often stayed when they were visiting his parents or on a holiday. “I have mixed feelings about this place as I stayed here after we moved from Lakeview Guesthouse in 2005,” he reportedly told KCR who brought up the topic of YSR having built this place and lived here from 2005 till his death in 2009.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-designate personally went to invite KCR to attend his swearing-in ceremony at Vijayawada on May 30.  It was an hour of “emotional turmoil” for Jagan as on the one hand, there was gratitude for KCR (he guided and helped Jagan run his campaign) while on the other, he has many memories linked to the place where he came to stay with his parents and more often after he was elected MP from Kadapa.

After YSR was killed when the Bell 430 helicopter crashed on September 2, 2009 near Rudrakonda hill, 74 km from Kurnool in the Nallamala forest area due to inclement weather, his body was brought and kept here for public “darshan”. 

YSRCP leaders who accompanied Jagan to Pragathi Bhawan yesterday said Jagan’s mother Vijayalakshmi continued to stay here for about a month even after the death of her husband.

 Jagan, who was in a very emotional state since morning, told the MLAs and MPs that he had set a deadline of six months to clear up all the mess created by the outgoing TDP.

“Party sources said that Jagan has made it clear that YSRCP has come to power on the promise of getting special status for Andhra Pradesh as promised in the Reorganisation Act of 2014. In case, the Centre doesn’t grant it, they should be ready for any sacrifice, including resignation from Parliament.