Spotlight on farmers at Jagan's meeting with PM

Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, facing cheating and money laundering cases registered by CBI and ED, today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue of "farmers' plight" in Andhra Pradesh.

Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, facing cheating and money laundering cases registered by CBI and ED, on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue of "farmers' plight" in Andhra Pradesh.

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Though there was no official confirmation of what transpired at the meeting, sources close to the Kadapa MP said the CBI cases against him did not figure. This is the first time that Jagan has met a member of the Congress top brass after he quit the party in November last year alleging "humiliation".

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of Jagan accusing the Congress of using CBI to victimise him and his plans to canvass support among political parties.

He also submitted a memorandum to Singh listing the problems faced by farmers in Andhra Pradesh and sought early clearance for the much-awaited Polavaram project.

Sources said the Prime Minister's response was good in the meeting, during which he was apprised of the distress of farmers.

Jagan had quit the party following a prolonged period of rebellion, after his father YSR Reddy's death in a chopper crash in September last year, as the central leadership of Congress refused to back his supporters' demand to make the young MP the next chief minister.

He later resigned from the party and launched YSR Congress and won the by-election to the Lok Sabha seat of Kadapa.