Hyderabad, July 7 (IANS) Defying the Congress party leadership, member of parliament Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Wednesday left for Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district to resume his ‘Odarpu’ yatra amid speculation that he plans to float a new political party.

Unfazed by the warning by the leadership, Jagan left for Srikakulam to visit families of those who died of shock or committed suicide following the death of his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash Sep 2 last year.

Jagan took his mother Vijayalakshmi’s blessing before boarding the Falaknuma Express. A large number of his followers gathered at Secunderabad railway station to see him off.

Jagan would reach Palasa in Srikakulam at 8 a.m. Thursday and visit different places in the district over the next three days to meet 15 families.

Rajya Sabha MP K.V.P. Ramchandra Rao met Jagan here before he left for the yatra. Rao, a close friend of YSR, reportedly discussed with him his future plans. Minister for Minority Welfare Mohammed Ahmedullah and three legislators also met Jagan.

Meanwhile, sources close to Jagan said he was ready to face disciplinary action by the Congress leadership. There are already speculations in the political circles that he was planning to float a new party.

A follower of Jagan reportedly submitted an application to the Election Commission in New Delhi for the registration of a new party called ‘YSR Congress’.

Giving a new twist to the Jagan issue, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who reached New Delhi this evening, told reporters that the party leadership was not against the yatra.

“The leadership only wanted him not to conduct the Odarpur yatra like a victory march but follow his father YSR, who had taken out a similar yatra in 2001-02 to meet families of farmers who committed suicide,” he said.

Earlier, Rosaiah had told media in Hyderabad that he has asked party legislators not to participate in Jagan’s yatra as the leadership has not given permission for this.