CM Jagan in Delhi to meet Modi and Shah; speculations over sudden visit

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy air-dashed to New Delhi on Thursday evening for likely meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, among others.

The sudden tour of the CM raised eyebrows. Jagan, who attended the state Assembly Budget presentation during the day, reached Delhi at 7.15 pm. YSRC MPs welcomed him at the airport there with bouquets.

While the Assembly Session is currently underway in the state, the CM’s tour is believed to have major political import. Sources say there was a sudden invitation to Jagan to be in Delhi for an important meeting with top government functionaries.

Usually, when a Chief Minister goes to the national capital, advance information is provided to the media and officials and a lot of pre-planning is involved. There was no such hint this time.

One official source claimed that Jagan sought a sudden appointment to meet the central leaders. If so, chances are that he would discuss key issues like the three-capitals, pending issues in the Bifurcation Act, and the state’s urge to go for more borrowings/debts. AP has been borrowing more and more and the Centre had warned the state on this repeatedly.

In another scenario, the central agencies are ringing danger bells in relation to the Y.S. Viveka murder case and the liquor scam. While an MP's son was arrested in the liquor scam, Y.S. Avinash Reddy is facing CBI probe in Y.S. Viveka's case. A guess in some circles is that the CM might also discuss the possibility of early Assembly polls with the Centre, as TS had done in 2018.

The Opposition Telugu Desam has alleged that Jagan's sudden Delhi tour was in line with the latest happenings on the Viveka murder case and the Delhi liquor scam.