Jagan's mother to campaign in by-elections

Hyderabad, May 28 (IANS) With the arrest of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on charges of corruption, his mother Vijayamma will now campaign for the YSR Congress in next month's by-elections.

Vijayamma, the honorary president of the party, was requested to do so after the party's central governing council held an emergency meeting Monday.

Party leader Shoba Nagi Reddy said Vijayamma would start campaigning May 30. She told reporters that they would convince her to call off her hunger strike.

Vijayamma and other family members are on indefinite fast at their Lotus Pond residence in Banjara Hills here to protest Jagan's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

By-elections to the Nellore Lok Sabha and 18 assembly seats are scheduled to be held June 12. Jagan's arrest has put brakes on the party's campaign as he has been the star campaigner.

Vijayamma, who has blamed Congress party Sonia Gandhi for her son's arrest, is likely to use the election campaign to mount further attack on the Congress and cash in on the perceived sympathy wave for Jagan.