New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
K Rosaiah was on Saturday nominated the Congress Legislature Party
leader by party chief Sonia Gandhi, bringing down the curtains
on the issue of sucessor to late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who
died in a helicopter crash more than two months ago.
Gandhi nominated 77-year-old Rosiah a day after the
CLP had met yesterday and authorised her to take the decision.
"In accordance with the unanimous resolution of the
CLP, Andhra Pradesh, AICC President is pleased to nominate K
Rosaiah as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in
Andhra Pradesh," senior leader M Veerappa Moily, party
in-charge for the state, said.
The announcement by Moily came after he and another
senior leader Pranab Mukherjee met Gandhi.
The issue of CLP leader had become ticklish in the
wake of `Jagan-for-CM` campaign by the supporters of Reddy who
pressed the party High Command to appoint the late Chief
Minister`s 37-year-old son and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy
in the top post.
Rosaiah, who had been No.2 in various party
governments in the state, was made the Chief Minister after
Reddy`s death on September 2.
Gandhi`s decision was on expected lines after the
Congress high command managed to mollify the Jagan camp by
giving Reddy`s widow Y S Vijayalaxmi a ticket for the
assembly bypoll from the Reddy family pocketborough of
Pulivendula.
The high command also persuaded Jaganmohan to move the
resolution at the CLP meeting yesterday to leave the decision
of choosing CLP leader to Gandhi.
About a month ago, Gandhi had asked Jaganmohan to
leave the issue of Chief Ministership to her. Since then,
Jaganmohan has been maintaining that he will abide by the
party decision.
PTI
