YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has a lot of clarity on his role in the national politics.
He has made it clear several times that for him, the state interests are paramount, rather than which party or alliance would form the government at the Centre.
He keeps talking to all the other regional party leaders, but he has never evinced interested in any third front or fourth front.
On Sunday, Trinamul Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called up Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin and proposed to him that a meeting of all the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states be held soon to discuss the issue of misuse of authority by the Governors.
Sources said names of the chief ministers of various non-BJP ruled states were discussed at the meeting, but not that of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Obviously, Mamata and Stalin have known that Jagan would not like to be part of the any effort that would pick up fight with the Centre.
There is more than one reason for Jagan not becoming part of this meeting of anti-BJP ruled states’ chief ministers.
Firstly, Jagan does not want Andhra Pradesh to be considered a non-BJP ruled state, because BJP has never been a force in AP nor is it a threat for him.
Secondly, like Mamata Banarjee or Stalin, Jagan is not against Modi or the BJP-ruled NDA government as he wants to maintain cordial relations with the Centre for the best interest of the state, rather than entering into any confrontation.
Thirdly, he doesn’t have any problems with AP Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan, unlike in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal. So, there is no point in fighting with the Centre on the Governor’s issue.
And lastly, Jagan doesn’t have any ambitions to play any role in the national politics. He is interested only in returning to power in the state for a second term and continue his welfare schemes.
So, there is no way the YSRC chief will get any invite from the other regional parties to form an anti-BJP front or for that matter, the third front.
