The biggest insult anyone can hurl against anyone is just ignoring one. Interestingly, all the three major political parties in Telangana are adopting the same strategy against his new-born party. They are not even bothering to comment on this party. No marks for guessing the party in question. It is YS Sharmila’s YSRTP.

Ruling TRS and its main challengers – the Congress and the BJP – are completely ignoring Sharmila in Telangana politics. They appear not to consider her as a contestant in fray. Though Sharmila is oozing confidence and is making tall claims about her party, no one in the political circles seems to have high hopes for her. But, she is trying hard to poke and provoke the rivals and make them comment about her party. However, all the three parties seem to have adopted an ambivalent attitude against her.

Revanth Reddy, the new Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief has said that he does not even consider her party a political entity. He said he does not care about her party. The TRS too has not commented on her or her party so far. They too have completely ignored her. In fact, the only reference that KCR has so far made to her was indirect. Referring to her dharna on unemployment, KCR said some people were doing dharnas like women do periodic vratams. He has not even mentioned her name.

As for the BJP, it does not seem to consider Sharmila’s party as a political entity. It has refrained from talking about it. The party perhaps feels that talking about her will give her unnecessary publicity and bring it onto the political centre stage. If no one talks about her party and herself, she would not get any traction, feels the BJP. The result? Despite the media attention she is getting, Sharmila is still a non-starter in Telangana politics.