Despite brother's objections, AP CM Jagan's sister Sharmila to chart her own political course in Telangana

Sharmila too skirted questions on her brother's approval on her future political plans in Telangana

Y S Sharmila, daughter of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, has made her independent political aspirations clear as she met with supporters at her residence in Hyderabad on Tuesday, to chalk out her plan of action.

Sharmila's venture has created ripples in the political sphere of both the Telugu states as she indicated that her involvement would be in Telangana, away from Andhra Pradesh where her elder brother YS Jaganmohan Reddy is the Chief Minister.

“The need for Rajanna rajyam (a popular reference to YSR's tenure) is apparent in Telangana. Are farmers, students and other sections happy in Telangana?” Sharmila sought to know while interacting briefly with the media, following her first meeting with supporters from the Nalgonda region.

A series of such meetings are planned with people from other Telangana areas. “We have not registered the party yet; shall inform you when the time comes,” she said in response to a question.

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009, till his death in a chopper crash. His untimely death is thought to have allowed political developments culminating in the formation of Telangana in 2014.

Jagan, then a Congress MP from Kadapa, broke away from the party a year after his father's death and successfully inherited YSR's popularity in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. However, after 2014, Jagan confined his political ambitions to the truncated state and following a gruelling 3,648-kilometre padayatra succeeded in becoming AP CM in 2019. Unlike Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, the YSRCP has kept away from the Telangana elections.

In such a scenario, Sharmila returning to Telangana politics has baffled many.

“Raavali Sharmila; Kaavali Sharmila,” declared placards held by a group of women, who gathered outside her palatial residence in the swish Lotus Pond avenue of Banjara Hills.

The slogan in Telugu is a copy of Jagan's 2019 election campaign theme - “Raavali Jagan; Kaavali Jagan,” which translates to “Jagan be the CM; We adore Jagan.”

However, there is nothing at the meeting venue to suggest that Sharmila's Telangana expedition has her brother's approval. A huge poster put up hailing Sharmila with her picture superimposed on YSR's image and Telangana map outline has no mention of Jagan.

Sharmila too skirted questions on the matter. “Did he (Jagan) tell you that he is not supporting me? He is my elder brother. I believe I have his blessings,” Sharmila told reporters.

As the Telugu news channels went live from Lotus Pond, in Amaravati, a key YSRCP leader admitted that the brother-sister held divergent views on the now apparent new political outfit in Telangana.

“We are aware of Sharmila's political thoughts for some time now. When the topic of YSRCP's expansion came up, Jagan opined that it would do more damage than good. But now, Sharmila, as evident today, is exploring the plans to set up a new party there,” YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said.

“Jagan said no (to Telangana) keeping AP's interests in mind... but Sharmila said she will try there. This cannot be seen as personal hostility between the two. This is a difference of opinion over public matters,” Sajjala, a top party strategist and also the adviser to the government further said.

Sharmila had played a major role in taking her brother headed YSRCP into the people with her padayatra Maro-Prajaprasthanam in 2012-13, when Jagan was in jail for over a year in the Disproportionate Assets cases.

While some TRS leaders termed Sharmila's project a family drama, others asserted that such parties “would fail before the strong leadership of K Chandrasekhar Rao in Telangana.”