Hyderabad, Nov 26 (IANS) The much-awaited Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting will be held here Friday when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah is likely to be formally elected as the new leader.
Ruling party sources here said senior party leader and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and general secretary incharge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh M. Veerappa Moily will attend the meeting as central observers.

The central leadership had been delaying the CLP meeting to avoid any conflict over the successor to Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash Sep 2.

With YSR’s son and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy giving up his claim to the post of the chief minister and his supporters in the cabinet and among the legislators also falling in line, the central leadership has decided to convene the CLP meeting.

Rosaiah, who took over as the chief minister Sep 3, is likely to be unanimously elected as the CLP leader.

Since Rosaiah, a veteran leader, is a member of the legislative council, the party is also likely to nominate a new leader in the assembly.

The CLP meeting will begin by paying tributes to YSR, who had led the party back to power in the recent elections. A condolence resolution will be passed and the legislators will observe two-minute silence as a mark of respect, Congress sources said.

The decision to convene the CLP meeting was taken a day after the central leadership picked YSR’s wife Vijayalakshmi as the party candidate for the by-election to Pulivendula assembly constituency in their native Kadapa district.

By ignoring Jaganmohan Reddy’s claim for the assembly seat that fell vacant due to his father’s death, the central leadership has sent clear signals that it wants him to continue as MP.