Jagan begins mass hunger strike, Cong MLAs among lakhs who attend

Former Kadapa MP Ys Jaganmohan Reddy (YSJ) on Tuesday began his first officially political agitation after resigning from the Congress party and his Parliamentary seat by launching his 48-hour hunger strike along with lakhs of farmers and his supporters, including about a dozen MLAs and six MLCs, on the banks of River Krishna, seeking adequate compensation for the rain-hit farmers.

The mass hunger strike is aimed at pressurising the government to immediately purchase discoloured paddy directly from the farmers, reschedule all loans, besides agreeing to a one-year moratorium on loan repayment, waiver of interest on crop loans besides fresh loans under the Pavala Vaddi Scheme, payment of Rs 5000 assistance to each farmers, free supply of seeds and fertilizers, adequate compensation of each weavers family along with supply of 50 kg of rice. Another demand is that the kin of the victims who died in the floods and rains etc should be given Rs five lakh as ex-gratia.

YSJ’s mass hunger strike, on his birthday, drew not only his supporters but also MLAs still in the Congress party, leaders from the Praja Rajyam Party and a host of political migrants, besides over a lakh of farmers and thousands of weavers at the ‘YSR Deeksha Pranaganam’.

The former MP began the mass-hunger strike after performing puja at Indrakeeladri, the abode of Goddess Kanaka Durga, along with his supporters on the banks of Krishna River near Prakasam Barrage.

He had earlier reached Vijayawada in the morning by Prashanti Express where he was accorded a warm welcome by his supporters.

The mass of humanity which had converged on the spot seemingly gave credence to the words of his staunch loyalist and suspended PCC general secretary Ambati Rambabu that the “lakhsa deeksha” would be a “historic political event.”

Secunderabad Congress Legislator Jayasudha was among the dozen of MLAs and six MLCs, apart from the ZP and Market Committee leaders and widow of former chief minister NT Rama Rao, Lakshmi Parvathi, film actress Roja were among those present at the spot.

Apart from the leaders, MLAs Konda Surekha, Srikanth Reddy, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Alla Nani, Dwarampuddi Chandrasekhara Reddy, Gurunatha Reddy, Ramchandra Reddy, Gandi Babji, MLC Pulla Padmavathi, former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and and former TTD chairman B Karunakar reddy were amongst the leaders seated beside YSJ.

Praja Rajyam Party MLA Katasani Ram Reddy was also extended his solidarity with YSJ fast.