Y.S. Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Friday announced that she will be floating a new political party in Telangana.
Announcing her political foray into Telangana at a public meeting at Khammam, she vowed to bring back the golden rule of her late father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, late Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh (2004-09).
She said she will unveil the name, flag and agenda of the new party on YSR’s birth anniversary (July 8).
Sharmila’s mother Y.S. Vijayamma shared the dais with her and appealed to people to bless Sharmila with their support.
Sharmila said she is taking a small step with ‘Sankapa Sabha’ to follow into the footsteps of her late father. She recalled that it was on this day (April 9) 18 years ago that YSR “sowed the seeds of his golden rule with ‘Praja Prasthanam’ padyatra”.
YSR’s daughter said she was launching the party to question those in power and to fulfil the aspirations of Telangana movement and for the self-respect of Telangana. She also slammed opposition Congress and BJP, saying they have failed in their duty to question the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government.
While paying tributes to those who laid down their lives to achieve statehood to Telangana, Sharmila wanted to know why suicides were continuing even after the formation of Telangana.
She alleged that the TRS government has not issued a single new ration card or sanctioned a new pension. She said the government also failed to give land to poor.
Sharmila reminded Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao about his promise of KG to PG free education. She also hit out at BJP-led government at the Centre for going back on the promises made to Telangana.
She also lashed out at those who are questioning her roots. Sharmila said whether somebody accepts or not, she is daughter of Telangana and will remain so. “I grew up on this land. Is it wrong if I want to pay back to this land,” she asked.
Earlier, Sharmila left Hyderabad for Khammam on Friday morning in a big convoy of vehicles.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, has already admitted that there is difference of opinion between the brother and sister over the latter’s political ambitions in Telangana.
‘Sankalpa Sabha’ was the first public meeting of Sharmila ever since she announced that she plans to float a political party in Telangana.
For more than a month, Sharmila has been holding meetings with YSR loyalists from various districts in Telangana to take their feedback before announcing her political plans.
She vowed try to bring back ‘Rajanna Rajyam’ (a reference to pro-poor and welfare regime of YSR) in Telangana.
Composite Khammam district is considered politically significant. Sharmila had extensively toured the district during her “Maro Praja Prasthanam”, a state-wide walkathon, in 2013 to mobilise support for her brother who was then in jail in disproportionate assets case.
The YSRCP had won one MP’s and three MLA’s seats in the old undivided Khammam district in the maiden Assembly elections in Telangana in 2014.
However, it became inactive in Telangana after its MP and all three MLAs joined the ruling TRS.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who led the YSRCP to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, decided to stay away from Telangana politics. His party did not contest 2018 Assembly elections and subsequent polls in Telangana.
