Cong membership drive hits due to successor issue

Hyderabad, Sept 24:

 The Congress's much-hyped membership drive in the run-up to its organisational elections hasn't evoked much enthusiasm at the grassroots level in the State after the sudden demise of chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash recently.

In fact, the membership drive launched by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President D Srinivas on Thursday marred by loyalists of late chief minister’s son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy (who was popularly known as Jagan) demanding the Congress High Command to make Jagan next chief minister of the state.

When the PCC chief convened a meeting with Karimnagar, Medak, Prakasam, Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar District Congress Committee leaders through video-conference, they opposed to the membership drive till the High Command announces Jagan name for the coveted post.

The members staged dharnas and protest rallies demanding high command to make Jagan as next chief minister. However, D Srinivas Appealed to them that the high command would take a positive decision on successor issue. He asked them to continue the membership drive as it would help them take government programmes directly to the people and strengthen the party base at grassroots level.