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Is YS Sharmila likely to become the AP Congress president?

7 months ago
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YS Sharmila Congress

YSRTP president YS Sharmila, following the setback of her political experiment in Telangana, is now looking to enter the political landscape in Andhra Pradesh. After the Telangana elections, there have been speculations about Sharmila considering entry into the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh. Gidugu Rudraraju, the APCC president, has stated that they would welcome Sharmila if she decides to join the Congress, expressing the same sentiment in the past as well.

However, Rudraraju mentioned that he currently has no information about the Congress high command considering YS Sharmila for the APCC position. As of today (December 27th), during the AICC meeting with the Andhra Pradesh Congress Coordination Committee, there are speculations that discussions might take place regarding the possible appointment of YS Sharmila as the APCC chief.

Plans failed to merger of YSRTP with Congress in Telangana?

YS Sharmila made a surprising entry into Telangana politics by establishing her own party, YSRTP. It is noteworthy that Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, an advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government, mentioned that even though they suggested not setting up a party in Telangana, she did not heed their advice. Days before announcing her party, the then Telangana Chief Minister and BRS leader, KCR, remarked that creating a party is not as easy as setting up a Pan dabba.

Leading up to the elections, Sharmila engaged in a padayatra, nirudyoga nirahara deeksha, and other party activities. However, she failed to garner significant public support, with Gattu Ramchander Rao, Epuri Somanna, and Konda Raghava Reddy being the only notable leaders in the party beside Sharmila. Ahead of elections, Sharmila recognized the ground reality and initiated talks with the Congress party for a potential merger of YSRTP.

Meanwhile, Gattu Ramchander Rao and Epuri Somanna joined BRS, while Konda Raghava Reddy parted ways with the party. Despite Sharmila’s announcement to contest 119 seats in Telangana, she eventually refrained from participating in the elections. Instead, she supported Congress without any conditions.

Key figures in the Telangana Congress, such as Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka, supported the proposal to merge YSRTP into Congress. However, Revanth Reddy vehemently opposed the idea. The Congress high command also realized that incorporating YSRTP might not benefit them, given Sharmila’s limited influence in the state. Moreover, they feared it could convey a negative message to the Telangana public due to Sharmila’s Andhra tag. Consequently, they suggested that Sharmila work for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh while merging YSRTP, but she remained unconvinced by this proposition.

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Sharmila to contest from Kadapa?

When Jagan was imprisoned in 2012, Sharmila emerged in the public sphere for the first time, undertaking a padayatra covering approximately 3000 km from Idupulapaya to Ichapuram over a period of around 10 months. In Jagan’s absence, Sharmila’s padayatra significantly bolstered the party. During the 2019 elections, she conducted an 11-day bus yatra on behalf of YSRCP, featuring the slogan ‘bye bye babu.’ However, after Jagan assumed power, conflicts arose between Sharmila and Jagan, leading her to enter Telangana politics despite opposition from YSRCP. After failing to make an impact in Telangana, she is now contemplating entry into Andhra Pradesh politics.

Recently, Sharmila sent Christmas gifts to TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh, indicating her readiness to take a stand against YS Jagan. If she joins the Congress party, the question arises: can she revive Congress’s fortunes? Congress is thinking that since YSRCP is not offering tickets to some sitting MLAs, they might join their party if Sharmila leads it. However, if Sharmila assumes the role of AP Congress president, she must view her brother Jagan merely as an opponent and take him on. The question remains: can she do that? Furthermore, if YS Sharmila joins the Congress party, it could potentially split the anti-government vote, impacting the TDP-Janasena alliances. As per some reports, Sharmila is considering contesting the Kadapa parliament seat in the 2024 elections. Currently, all these scenarios are speculative, and we need to wait and see whether they will materialize or remain mere speculation.

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