Ahead of the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections, newly appointed Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila on Tuesday began her campaign in the state. After taking charge as the state chief, in her first potshot at her brother and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleged on Sunday that he has led the state to financial crisis.
YS Sharmila will tour 26 districts over the span of nine days starting from Ichchapuram in the Srikakulam district to Idupulapaya in YSR Kadapa district. She is being accompanied by former Telangana Pradesh Committee chief Manikrao Thakare and former APCC presidents Gidugu Rudra Raju and Raghuveera Reddy.
In his first comments against his sister, YS Jagan used the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s shoulder to train his guns on her.
Speaking at a public meeting at Uravakonda in Anantapur district, he said, “Chandrababu Naidu has a number of star campaigners and sympathisers. Some of Chandrababu’s star campaigners are now in the party (Congress) that bifurcated Andhra Pradesh… Some of his sympathisers are hiding in the BJP. Chandrababu’s sister-in-law is also his star campaigner and sympathiser,” as quoted by The Indian Express.
While announcing her state-wide tour plan, YS Sharmila said that it was time to “bring back YSR Rajyam”.
“Time for all YSR loyalists to join the Congress, or return to the party that my father led when he was APCC president,” he said.
After YS Jagan came to power in 2019 in Andhra Pradesh, finding no space for herself in the party, she shifted to Hyderabad in April 2021 and on July 8, she founded the YSR Telangana Party.
On October 20, 2021, she started the Praja Prasthanam Yatra, covering 33 districts in Telangana and in January this year, she merged with the Congress party.
The Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly election in the state are scheduled to be held in April-May this year.