Jagan to not field candidates for AP Council polls

Hyderabad, Feb 25 (PTI) In a relief to the rulingCongress in Andhra Pradesh, former party MP Y S Jagan MohanReddy tonight announced that he will not field candidates inthe coming elections to fill up the vacancies in the statelegislative council.

Those supporting him should vote as per their conscience,he said in an open letter released tonight.

Jagan said he would form a party to realise the ideals ofhis late father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and that strengtheningit is his priority.

"We feel that we should contest in any election onlyafter strengthening the party to be formed. Hence, we are notthinking of fielding candidates in next month''s MLC elections.

I appeal to those who love YSR to act as per theirconscience," he said.

Jagan said he is writing the letter in the wake ofreports that his group will be putting up candidates in thecouncil elections.

Elections for 10 seats from the Local AuthoritiesConstituencies and another 10 from the Assembly quota arescheduled to be held next month while elections to six seatsfrom Graduates and Teachers'' constituencies too will be held.

With about 20 party MLAs openly expressing their loyaltyto Jagan, there was concern in the Congress over how they willvote as no whip can be issued in the polls.