EC asks YSRCP to clarify on Jagan Mohan Reddy being made party's 'permanent president for life'

YSR Congress President and Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy (PTI file image)

The Election Commission on September 21 asked the Andhra Pradesh-ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to clarify its position on Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy being made the party's "permanent president for life", as reported in sections of the media.

The apex poll body, in its letter to YSRCP, said it categorically rejects any attempt or even a hint of any organisational post being of permanent nature, as it is inherently anti-democratic.

"Any action which denies the periodicity of elections, is in complete violation of the extant instructions of the Commission. If not categorically contradicted, it has the potential to create a confusion in other political formations of such a move (which is widely reported in the press) being condoned by the Election Commission of India and in turn can assume contagious proportions," the letter said.

The ECI has ordered YSRCP to conclude the internal enquiry at the earliest and make a "clear and categorical public announcement" on Reddy's role.

Reddy established the party in March 2011 after quitting the Congress. Ever since, he has been continuing as its president, with his mother Vijayamma as honorary president. Reddy was last elected the YSRCP president at the party plenary in 2017.

Vijayamma resigned from the honorary president’s post in July, and said she was leaving YSRCP to stand by her daughter Y S Sharmila, who is now heading the YSR Telangana party in the neighbouring state.

YSRCP would require EC's nod for officially declaring Reddy as the party's permanent president for life. The party, according to news agency PTI, is citing some precedents wherein certain regional parties in other states secured the Commission’s approval to have a president for a lifetime without the need for conducting elections at every two years.

With PTI inputs