VIJAYAWADA: Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s close aides on Tuesday chose to distance the Andhra Pradesh chief minister from his sister Sharmila’s political ambitions. In the process they also confirmed Sharmila’s plans of launching a new party in Telangana by getting together those who had admired her father and the late former CM united AP, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Even as Sharmila met supporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday, AP government advisor and key leader of YSR Congress, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, told reporters in Vijayawada about the difference of opinion between Jagan and Sharmila. He also said that there was a political vacuum in Telangana, which Sharmila wanted to fill.
Sajjala added that there were discussions in the family about Sharmila’s proposed party for the past three months. According to him, Jagan had advised her against the move or even expanding YSRCP in Telangana. He said wanting to launch a new party was Sharmila’s own decision.
TOI had reported on Tuesday that she planned to call the new party YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP).
“Jagan’s interests are with the people of AP and he does not have any links with Telangana politics,” Sajjala insisted. “In fact, Jagan had advised Sharmila not to enter politics in Telangana.” Immediately after coming to power in 2019, Jagan had become close to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. But on the face of it, the bonhomie did not last long as the governments of AP and Telangana differed on water sharing and irrigation projects.
Sharmila, meanwhile, met close aides from Nalgonda. She had announced she would meet supporters of her father from all the districts in the state. Many of YSR’s followers and supporters are rallying behind Sharmila. There is also pressure from Congress leaders of Telangana who want an alternative in the state.
Sajjala also said Sharmila and Jagan did not have any personal differences but disagree on politics in Telangana. Sajjala, who is close to the YSR family, admitted that the issue of reviving the YSR Congress in Telangana or launching a new political party was being discussed in the family for the past three months, especially after the BJP performed extremely well in the recent Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.
“Jagan wants to have party-to-party and government-to-government relations with Telangana. He did not want to revive and expand the party there,” he said. He added that Jagan will not have any links with Sharmila’s party or Telangana’s politics.
“Sharmila is planning for a padayatra before or after the launch of the party,” he said adding that she is planning to bring back her late father’s welfare regime.