VIJAYAWADA:
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who led his party to an astounding victory in Andhra Pradesh, took as the Chief Minister of the state. He is the second Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh post its bifurcation.
Jagan Reddy, 46, was administered the oath by Governor ESL Narasimhan at 12.23 pm at a grand public function in Vijayawada. He got a hero’s welcome as he reached the venue in an open jeep, with people cheering as his convoy passed.
N Chandrababu Naidu, who was virtually decimated by Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress, turned down the latter’s invite to the swearing-in. Mr Naidu chose to send a delegation of his party to congratulate Mr Reddy at his home before the ceremony.
Among the VIPs in attendance were Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and DMK chief MK Stalin from Tamil Nadu. Both the leaders will fly to Delhi for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in this evening for a second term.
On Sunday, Mr Reddy had met PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi. “I met the first and second most important persons in the country, to seek best possible assistance for Andhra Pradesh,” he said after the meeting.
The YSR Congress bagged 151 of the 175 seats in the state assembly and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats, handing out a huge blow to Mr Naidu’s Telguu Desam Party.
Mr Reddy is the son of one of Andhra Pradesh’s most popular Chief Ministers, YS Rajashekhara Reddy, who died in a chopper crash in 2009. The 46-year-old, who inherited his father’s supporters, still had to make his mark at the head of a new party formed in 2011. The moment came during his two foot marches – the last one over the special status for Andhra Pradesh, undertaken last year.
It was Jagan Reddy’s push for the Special Status for Andhra Pradesh that is said to be at the bottom of Chandrababu Naidu’s move to part company with the BJP and join the opposition camp.
