New player in town: Sharmila all set to launch YSR Telangana party 

HYDERABAD: YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s daughter YS Sharmila is all set to launch her political outfit — YSR Telangana Party — in Telangana on Thursday, July 8, 2021, adding to the list of parties in the State’s crowded political space. Though Sharmila, who is the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, says that the objective of her party is to restore ‘Rajanna Rajayam’ — the regime of her late father — analysts say that the YSR Telangana party may, on the other hand, help the TRS and BJP when the crunch comes on the election day.

Despite rumours that the TRS is behind her, it appears that the pink party leadership has given a carte blanche to its workers to go for her jugular, which discounts the theory that K Chandrasekhar Rao might be propping her up. Whether the TRS is supporting Sharmila or not, the YSR Telangana Party’s presence in the electoral armageddon of 2023 is expected to divide the Opposition vote. Analysts believe that the Sharmila factor might wean away Congress voters, who are her late father’s admirers, thus weakening the grand old party. Subsequently, political equations will change with both TRS and the BJP. In the see-saw battle between the TRS and BJP, it is not yet known whose broth will Sharmila spoil by cutting into the Congress votes.

Promising to resurrect late YSR’s flagship programmes such as free education and free medical treatment, Sharmila is trying to worm her way into the people’s hearts. However, in the changed political ecosystem of Telangana, analysts say that it is premature to say how much traction will Sharmila gain, and as a result of it, who will benefit, or lose on the D-day.

PARTY TO CUT INTO CONGRESS VOTES 
The YSR Telangana Party’s presence in the electoral armageddon of 2023 is expected to divide the Opposition vote. Analysts believe that the Sharmila factor might wean away Congress voters, who are her late father’s admirers, thus weakening the grand old party.