Congress leader says party should expose Jagan

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Hanumantha Rao on Monday accused Jagan Mohan Reddy of trying to align with the BJP and said his party would have to expose the rebel leader's "corruption" and "craze for power" if it had to hold

fort in Andhra Pradesh.

"Jaganmohan Reddy is trying to tie up with BJP in Andhra Pradesh. He has already met BJP leaders M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley. He is speaking the language of BJP to the Congress now," Rao told reporters in New Delhi.

There were reports earlier that mining barons, Reddy brothers, who have had a long business relationship with Jagan's father YSR Reddy, had offered that the former Kadapa MP join the BJP after he walked out of the Congress.

Rao dismissed Jagan's claims that Congress will be reduced to number 3 in Andhra Pradesh.

"He is hobnobbing with the TDP as well. In Parliament, he had borrowed placards from TDP members to raise the issue of Telangana," he said.

Though he did not see Jagan as a threat to Congress, Rao said investigations should be ordered into his sources of income and his "legacy" should be brought to an end.

"His monetary position in 2004 and at present should be checked and compared. It is because of his father's money that he has reached this position. Even before YSR Reddy's dead body was brought to Hyderabad, he had started a signature campaign for his claim to Chief Ministership. He is a power-monger and power crazy," Rao said.

The Congress leader maintained that people in Andhra Pradesh still voted for the party in the name of "Indiramma (Indira Gandhi)".

"Jagan must have been in High School or College in 1994 when his father acted against the Congress. Later in 1996, Reddy accepted that he had won by a margin of only 4,000 votes as people did not support him due to the wrong he had done," Rao said.

He alleged that Jagan's supporters were referring to his party as "Italy Congress" as they had forgotten the sacrifice made by Sonia Gandhi, her mother-in-law and her husband.

"I will take up this matter with the party high command," he said.

Rao said Jagan could not be compared to Sharad Pawar (NCP) and Mamata Banerjee (TMC) who had grown even after leaving the Congress.

"Just 14 months after joining politics, Jagan wants to be chief minister. Pawar had been chief minister of Maharashtra twice while Mamata has been a senior leader for long," he said.

Rao maintained that Jagan cannot ride to power solely on the wave of sympathy for his father and by dint of his wealth.