In yet another measure to arm-twist YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the Kiran Kumar Reddy government on Monday cancelled the iron ore mining leases granted for the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation as part of its agreement with Rakshana Steels Limited, owned by Jagan’s brother in law Anil Kumar. The mines are located at Bayyaram in Khammam district and extend up to Warangal district.

Though the cancellation of iron ore mines in 1.4 lakh acres has been on cards for quite some time, the timing of the decision has raised many an eyebrow, as it came a day before the conduct of by-elections to 18 assembly seats and Nellore Lok Sabha seat and also at a time when Jagan is in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case.

Interestingly, it was only on Saturday that Telugu Desam Party held a press conference on the massive assets allegedly owned by YSR family and demanded cancellation of mining leases for Rakshshna steels.

Though YSR family has claimed that Anil Kumar was no way concerned with mining leases, it was established in the past that the Rakshna Steels indeed belonged to him, albeit indirectly. So, it appears the Congress government is aiming at hitting all the financial roots of the YSR family.