YS Sharmila assumes charge as APCC chief, lashes out at Jagan, Naidu

Vijayawada: Y S Sharmila, the daughter of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy assumed charged as the new president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in Vijayawada on Sunday.

The newly sworn-in APCC president thanked senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for reposing their faith and entrusting her with the responsibility.

"Y S Rajasekhara Reddy took up the PCC (president) post two times and went on to be the chief minister two times. Again, believing in Rajasekhara Reddy’s child Y S Sharmila, Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, (Mallikarjun) Kharge and the elders of the Congress party have given that responsibility," said Sharmila. Mincing no words, Sharmila immediately launched a scathing attack on the ruling YSRCP led by her brother and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the TDP.

Sharmila gave an open call to all fans and admirers of Rajasekhara Reddy to join hands with the Congress.

Her statements against Jagan Mohan Reddy will trigger a political fight between the siblings in the poll-bound state. Sharmila’s political aspirations were scuttled by her brother Jagan and she could not find space in the new scheme of things.

For that reason, she came to Telangana. But the leaders of Telangana Congress saw her as more of an Andhra Pradesh face than that of the region.

Addressing the meeting, she claimed that there had been no development in Andhra Pradesh in the last five years under the YSRCP government, and five years prior to that under the TDP’s rule. Sharmila alleged that the YSRCP and TDP governments had pushed Andhra Pradesh into deep debt of about Rs 10 lakh crore. In a broadside against Jagan Mohan Reddy, she said that the incumbent government does not have funds to lay roads or even pay salaries to employees. The APCC president questioned if Andhra Pradesh has a capital city or funds to build one and added that not a single city in the state has a Metro train facility.

"Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSRCP government has more than Rs 3 lakh crore debt," Sharmila said.

According to Sharmila, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a 100 per cent rise in atrocities against Dalits and illegal sand mining led by a mafia. Noting that the state did not receive special status even 10 years post bifurcation, she compared Andhra Pradesh to Himachal Pradesh and pointed out that the latter managed to attract several industries after receiving special status. Sharmila said that Jagan Mohan Reddy fought for special status for the state as long as he was in the opposition, but had not done so after becoming the chief minister.

Holding the YSRCP and the TDP equally responsible for Andhra Pradesh not getting special status, she said both parties have become stooges of the BJP and surrendered to it and that both were 'two sides of the same coin'.

Attacking the BJP, she said that though the party has been in power for 10 years at the Centre and had promised to create two crore jobs in the country every year, it was a question if even one lakh jobs had been created in Andhra Pradesh during the period.

Ahead of taking the charge, Sharmila on Saturday visited the memorial of Rajasekhar Reddy at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district to pay homage.

Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, had joined the Congress on January 4 in Delhi in the presence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Congress president has appointed Y S Sharmila Reddy as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Convoy diverted, police give a clarification:

Prior to assuming charge, Sharmila along with her supporters took a rally to the party office. Alleging that her convoy was stopped and diverted, Sharmila said her brother Jagan and his government are 'scared of her' and the Congress party.

Her supporters sat on the road protesting against the government.

Responding to the incident, Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata said that Sharmila's convoy proceeded without any reported major disruptions in Vijayawada.

He clarified that any temporary halts experienced by the convoy were due to routine traffic management procedures, not intentional interference.

"At about 12.50 hrs, the traffic was diverted by Patamata Police of Vijayawada commissionarate towards 100 feet road where the convoy of Sharmila along with Sunkara Padmasree, Gidugu Rudraraju, Ex PCC president. Sunkara padmasree and others in the convoy refused for traffic regulation that they have to cross VZA City through Ramavarappadu, Benz circle, Bandar road. As such they staged a dharna at Yenikepadu centre for about 10 minutes and later traffic regulated accordingly," said the Commissioner.