And all he got was a standing audience with Madam…

So finally it ended up like a big budget flop movie, hyped and hoped by its producers, hero, supporting cast and a non-existent audience.

In a matter of few minutes, Sonia Gandhi ended the dreams of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to occupy the C Block in the Andhra Pradesh State Secretariat. With it ended the dreams of not just Jagan, but also that of KVP, the man who ran the state in the name of YSR. Sadly, it also put paid the dreams of many first time MLAs who wanted to become ministers.

But what really happened at 10, Janpath? One news report (TOI) says Madam gave Jagan a 10 minute standing audience with KVP standing outside and Ahmed Patel standing inside. Another report (in DC) says Madam gave Jagan a sitting audience of 50 minutes. Then another (TV 9) says Madam was so gracious that she had nothing to do on a day when the 3 state election results were coming in that she talked, talked, and talked to Jagan for one and half hours.

Really, this amuses me. How much of TV time, newsprint and energy has been wasted on the Jagan Bhajan over the last 50 days. Finally it turned out to be a damp squib. "Leave the leadership issue to me". That is one way of telling Mr Jagan and his gang to take a walk.

But what really hurt the Jagan camp was the way KVP was treated. The man who walked often trooped like a Chanakya into Sonia Gandhi’s home when YSR was alive, was humiliated and asked to stand outside, while Madam spoke to Jagan inside. What a fall from grace.

Another issue which amuses me is the oft quoted line “People want Jagan as the CM”. Who told you so Mrs Konda Surekha? Did you have a referendum? Try telling that to the people of Kurnool and Alampur. They will tell who was there the day the flood waters swept into their homes.

Which makes me wonder - how come Jagan still operates out of the CM camp office? Why is no one questioning the misuse of government property. Who is paying the electricity, water and other bills for a camp office which is not occupied by the present CM. Time has come for Konjeti Rosaiah to tell the kids in his party to first prove themselves and then ask for any post.

Finally, all these would not have happened but for the media hype on the Jagan Bhajan. The media, specially the Telugu TV channels which are run by people with dubious credentials need to introspect. Why are they trying to play up a non-event into a big time happening? The era of monarchy is dead and gone, and someone should tell that to the so called editors of TV channels. A little bird tells me that most of the telugu TV channels were paid to keep the Jagan Bhajan going. Credibility of telugu news channels is at its lowest – that I will address in another blog in a day or two.