YSR’s birth anniversary on July 8 is a real challenge to Jagan
YSRCP leaders are likely to defect to Congress
Patibandla Srinivas
(pnsjournalist@gmail.com)
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president YS Sharmila Reddy is conducting former Chief Minister and her late father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s birthday celebrations under the Congress flag in a big way in Vijayawada city on July 8.
She has invited All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhattivikramarka, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Sivakumar, and several top Congress leaders for the meeting.
Sharmila’s involvement in the event has assumed political significance since she crossed swords against her brother, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Both of them competed forcefully in the recent elections with their war of words, primarily highlighting the murder of YSR’s brother Vivekananda Reddy.
She contested for Kadapa LS against the YSR Congress’s candidate Avinash Reddy, supported by Jagan.
Now she is determined to continue her fight against her brother to claim the legacy of YS Rajasekhar Reddy though she lost the election.
The top Congress leadership also wants to encourage her by giving an agenda to strengthen the party in Andhra Pradesh. Indeed, the AP was one of the strong supporters of Congress party for several decades until the bifurcation and demise of Rajasekhar Reddy reduced it into a non-entity.
.
On the other hand, YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy floated the YSR Congress Party thus paving the way for all the Congress leaders and workers to shift their allegiance to YSRCP.
Jagan party captured the majority of the Congress base and captured power in 2019 with a huge margin.
In 2024 YSR Congress led by YS Jagan faced a big jolt and also lost the support of his family members following the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy. As a result, uncertainty prevailed on the political future of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hence he was also facing the cases of enforcement directorate and CBI.
Against this backdrop, YS Sharmila’s plan to conduct YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s birth anniversary in a massive way including a public meeting assumed political significance across the State. Several Congress leaders will attend the program and extend their support to her leadership and strengthen the party.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has announced YS Sharmila was the true successor of YS Rajasekhar Reddy in his first visit to Andhra Pradesh in Visakhapatnam. Now some more leaders are likely to attend the meeting and make efforts to help the Congress party in the State get its past glory as Jagan Mohan Reddy is on a weak wicket.
All said and done, it is a big challenge for Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was reduced to just 11 seats, to face the TDP –Sena juggernaut and his determined sister YS Sharmila at a time when he is out of power.