It should definitely be disappointing news for Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his followers. According to media reports emanating from New Delhi, the Congress high command more or less declined the Chief Minister post to Jagan; and instead, sent the ball into the court of his advisor K V P Ramachandra Rao.

While almost all the dailies on Friday reported that the Congress high command had suggested three alternatives, other than, the CM post, Jagan’s own daily Sakshi conveniently avoided reporting this development. Instead, it continued to campaign for Jagan’s candidature for the CM post, stating the entire state, with one voice, is demanding that he becomes the Chief Minister. It has completely pushed the New Delhi developments to the 11th page.

According to the reports appearing in the English as well as Telugu dailies, the high command is learnt to have offered the post of deputy chief minister to Jagan. Alternatively, he could be made the Pradesh Congress Committee president or a Minister of State in the Union Cabinet headed by Dr Manmohan Singh. The leadership has apparently refused to succumb to the pressure tactics of Jagan and his coterie. While KVP told Sonia’s advisor Ahmed Patel that Jagan might not accept the post of union minister of state, he said he would convince the young leader to take up the PCC mantle; so that he would have a grip over the party. In future, it would help him become the Chief Minister.

The option of a deputy CM, provided Rosaiah in the top slot, could also be acceptable to YSR, but it is not certain whether Rosaiah would like to continue as a dummy CM. Under any circumstances, he would try to assert himself. And any other leader in his place would do the same – he might not accept the hegemony of Jagan in the government. And this would lead to confrontation.

The reports say the high command took serious note of the orchestrated campaign by Jagan supporters in his favour in the state as well in Delhi. The negative reports in the national media are learnt to have influenced the high command to adopt a tough stand against Jagan. And in the last two days, KVP had a tough time in convincing Sonia Gandhi that the campaign was not stage-managed, but was a spontaneous public sentiment.

The high command also took serious view of the reports that pro- Jagan ministers were not cooperating with Rosaiah and that they might even split the party, if necessary. It told the ministers without mincing words that they should cooperate with Rosaiah.

Eenadu daily, however, played safe in its reporting. It did not mention any of the options suggested for Jagan. It only reported the developments as they are; including the hectic lobbying by the Congress MPs in favour of Jagan.