Know which politician is reportedly feeling smug and happy over Etela Rajender leaving the TRS and joining the BJP? Well, it’s not KCR nor minister Gangula Kamalakar not even TRS Rajya Sabha MP Capt. Lakshmikantha Rao. It is YS Sharmila. Yes. Sharmila’s political existence was under threat ever since Etela rebelled against KCR.

Etela became the hottest topic of political buzz and the political class in Telangana, which was looking for an alternative, suddenly moved away from YS Sharmila to Etela Rajender. With the rumours flying thick and fast that he would form a regional output to counter KCR, Sharmila camp was worried. It was worried that it would lose political relevance and several political leaders, who would otherwise have joined Sharmila’s to-be-born party, would walk into Etela’s camp.

Ever since Etela came, Sharmila found it difficult to grab media attention. The trickle of leaders who were joining her stopped. Even in districts like Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Khammam, the second and third level politicians had gone into a ‘wait-and-watch’ mode. All these have left Sharmila camp quite worried.

However, with Etela opting for the BJP, Sharmila is believed to be quite relieved. This has kept her hope of a space for anti-TRS, anti-BJP, anti-Congress political party alive. Hence, soon after it became clear that Etela would resign from the TRS, Sharmila revealed the name of her party – the YSR Telangana Party. And hours after Etela left the TRS, the announced ad hoc spokespersons for the party.

The party announced that Indira Shobhan, Pitla Ram Reddy, Konda Raghava Reddy, T Devender Reddy, Epuri Somanna, Sayyid Mushtaq Ahmed, Bhumi Reddy, B Ravinder and Matin Mujaddedi would officiate as its spokespersons. Leaders from Sharmila’s party have also begun making calls to several second and third level political leaders asking them to join YS Sharmila’s party. Once Corona wave subsides, Sharmila will become active again, party sources said.