In what is seen as a move to distance the minorities away from YSR Congress Party President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President D Srinivas on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hatched a conspiracy to use Jagan as a "political tool" to come to power in the state.
Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, the PCC chief stated that Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy has been deputed to lure Jagan to the BJP.
"If the voters exercise their franchise in favour of YSR Congress Party, BJP would be automatically benefited," Srinivas stated.
"As the BJP is not thriving in the state, it has deputed Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy to lure Jaganmohan Reddy into the party, and is trying to come to power through the backdoor," the Congress state chief said, and added, "The BJP has taken the by-elections as an opportunity to launch a hidden agenda."
"Jagan is opposed to both the Congress and the TDP. The only option left for him is to tie up with the BJP," he also stated.
The PCC chief further promised to provide the media with more fodder on this angle soon.
Reacting to the properties and assets declared by Jagan while filing his by-election nomination, Srinivas said that the Congress would utilize the information in the election campaign.
The PCC chief also denied that the Congress had any need or inclination to get
Jagan's namesakes to file nominations for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.
Referring to the reports of disciplinary action against party legislators supporting Jagan, Srinivas stated that he had not yet received any complaint from the District Congress Committee members.
However, the PCC chief said that he had already discussed this issue with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. Action against the legislators for indulging in anti-party activities would be initiated at an appropriate time, Srinivas stated. (INN)