Aid for YSR fans to upstage Jagan

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The Congress on Monday announced `1 lakh aid to the families of those who committed suicide in the wake of the death of then Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy. This is being described as a move to take the wind out of defiant Reedy junior’s sails.
Mr Jaganmohan Reedy, the sitting Lok Sabha member is the son of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister.
The announcement was made by AICC in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Union law minister M. Veerappa Moily here, a few days before Mr Reedy planned to take out a yatra from Prakasam district of the state in defiance of the party high command.
“The Congress president has directed the AICC to pay a sum of Rs 1 lakh each to the bereaved families. The disbursement of money will be done after the concerned Congress MPs and DCC presidents have congregation in their respective districts,” he said.
Noting that AICC acknowledges the contribution of the late leader to the party and his “great commitment” towards the people of Andhra Pradesh, he said the Congress “pays tributes to the departed soul on the eve of the commemoration of his first death anniversary”.
He said the Congress president had earlier instructed the AICC to provide necessary relief to family members of those persons who have committed suicide on the demise of YSR.
The announcement came even as a defiant Mr Reedy is all set to kick off the third phase of his controversial “Odarpu Yatra”. He has already completed two spells of the yatra in several parts of the state despite party chief Sonia Gandhi advising against it. He will address a rally in the temple town of Tirupati on September 2, the first death anniversary of his father.
The next day, he will resume the yatra to console the relatives of those who either allegedly committed suicide or died of shock after the hearing the news of the death of his father.