No Sonia or YSR, I was elected on merit: JC

Caught between the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea, former minister and senior leader JC Diwakar Reddy on Thursday chose to tread the middle path by saying that he was elected to the state Assembly through his own efforts and did not use the names of either Congress president Sonia Gandhi or former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Talking to media persons on the Assembly premises, Mr Diwakar Reddy said, “I was elected by the people who chose to vote for me on my own merit. I have not used the names or images of either (former chief minister) YS Rajasekhara Reddy or Congress president Sonia Gandhi while campaigning for the elections.”

The former minister’s statement comes even as loyalists of Kadapa leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy demand that the Congress Legislators resign and seek a fresh mandate since they were elected due to the efforts of the former MP’s father YSR.

The Congress Legislators however defend themselves by saying that they were elected only due to the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi.

Reacting on challenges and counter challenges made against the loyalists of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, with each group daring each other to pull down the government, Mr Diwakar Reddy said that the government will introduce a Trust Motion if it feels necessary. He said that this decision will be taken by the Chief Minister at the appropriate time.

The former minister also added that the Pradesh Congress Committee will take action against those leaders who have been making statements against the High Command violating party rules.