All eyes are now on YS Sharmila in Hyderabad, with the rumours getting strong that she may soon launch a political party of her own in Telangana. Sharmila is the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and daughter of former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajsekhara Reddy.
On February 20, she is scheduled to meet the leaders loyal to her father from the Ranga Reddy district in Telangana. She already had two rounds of consultations with leaders of different districts. Many theories are being floated to explain this sudden interest of Sharmila in active politics.
YS Rajsekhara Reddy, a popular Congress leader and former chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, died in a helicopter crash in September 2009. He was chief minister at the time. When the Congress party did not announce Jagan a natural successor of his father, he revolted against Congress and formed his party YSR Congress.
In the last held assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, YSRCP swept the poll winning 151 of 175 seats. But the party did not win any seat in Telangana in 2018 assembly election. Telangana Rashtra Samiti of K Chandrasekhar Rao swept the polls, winning 102 of 119 seats.
There are hardly any takers for ‘rift in the Reddy family’ theory. Konda Raghav Reddy, former head of YSRCP in Telangana, dismissed any rumour of rift in the family.
There are good reasons for it. Jagan’s mother and sister campaigned extensively for him in the last assembly elections. Once Jagan was in the CM’s chair, both the women retreated quietly in their homes. When the Congress party put Jagan in jail, it was his mother and sister who took care of his political interests. So, it is believed whatever Sharmila will do will have her brother’s consent.
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