For the last two days, there have been rumours in some sections of social media that YSR Congress party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy might not continue as the MLA of Pulivendula in the state assembly.
Several reasons are being floated as part of these rumours.
One, Jagan does not want to enter the assembly as an ordinary MLA, as there is no possibility of Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu giving him the leader of opposition status.
Secondly, Jagan has to treat the Speaker with respect in the assembly, which he doesn’t want, as Ayyanna Patrudu had used abusive language against him in the past. So, he doesn’t want to face the Speaker.
Thirdly, Jagan might not get a chance to speak much, let alone launch an attack on the government. He doesn’t have much support from his MLAs, as those who had the energy and capacity – Kodali Nani, Vamsi, Roja, Dwarampudi, Anil Kumar Yadav or Ambati – have all lost their elections.
Except Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, there is nobody who can launch an attack on the ruling party.
Moreover, Jagan is not sure how many of this present bunch of MLAs will remain with the party and how many of them will jump into the TDP.
Under these circumstances, Jagan may be thinking there is nothing much for him to do in the state assembly.
So, he might quit his assembly seat and field his mother Y S Vijayalakshmi from there, so that there will be some discipline in the party.
The ruling party MLAs, too, might hesitate to target Vijayalakshmi, if she is in the assembly.
There is a talk that Jagan might ask his cousin Y S Avinash Reddy to resign from his Kadapa MP seat and in his place, Jagan would contest the by-elections to become a Lok Sabha member. He is apparently of the view that there will be a lot of benefit for him if he becomes an MP.
First, Jagan will have the chance to maintain relations with powers-that-be in the Centre and it might help him regain their confidence in the next five years.
Secondly, it will also help him in lobbying with the Delhi bosses to wriggle out of the CBI and ED cases that he is facing.
For now, these are just speculations and rumours. It remains to be seen what decision Jagan would take in the coming days.