Andhra CM Jagan’s Sister Sharmila Appointed Congress President of Telangana

Hyderabad: YS Sharmila, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister, was appointed as Congress president of the state unit on Tuesday.

Sharmila joined Congress on January 4. On that day she also merged her YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) with the Congress.

A day back Gidugu Rudra Raju resigned from the Andhra Pradesh Congress president’s post clearing the path for Sharmila’s appointment.

Sharmila, ahead of the Assembly polls in Telangana, had opted out of the polls expressing YSRTP’s support for Congress.

Sharmila’s decision follows the win of the Congress in the Assembly elections in Telangana.

Now Congress hopes that following Sharmila, some others may leave the YSRCP to join the Congress.

In 2012 YSRCP was formed when her brother Jagan Mohan Reddy parted ways with the Congress. She and her mother YS Vijayamma led the campaign when Jagan was in jail after being arrested on corruption charges. The YSRCP swept the polls.

In 2021, Ms Sharmila expressed her political differences with her brother Jagan. She announced the formation of the YSR Telangana Party. In 2023, Sharmila announced that she would not contest the Telangana election to support the Congress.

Sharmila has fallen out with her brother, her party is also not doing well and she is facing a funds crunch to continue her party activities. These are said to be the reasons for her decision to join the Congress. The Congress feels, her induction may benefit the party in its fight against the BJP in Telangana.