VIJAYAWADA: The Congress high command is actively considering roping in YS Sharmila, daughter of former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy, to campaign for the party in Andhra Pradesh in the ensuing elections.
At the coordination meeting of the Congress held in New Delhi on Wednesday, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi elicited the views of party leaders from Andhra Pradesh as to what possible role Sharmila could play in the ensuing elections. Most of the leaders said they welcome her into the party fold if she joined the party and worked to strengthen it in the State.
One of the suggestions is to field Sharmila from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by her father, uncle and brother earlier, and now cousin. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said she might have been made Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president.
Highly-placed sources, however, said Sharmila is undecided on joining the Congress and working against her brother and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh. She is most likely to visit New Delhi in the next 10 days, sources added.
After the coordination meeting, which was part of the series of meetings being held by the Congress high command with its State leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Kharge called it an important strategy meeting where leaders shared their thoughts on strengthening the party for the general elections.
Taking to X, he said, “Everyone believes that the ground situation has drastically changed after government formation in Karnataka and Telangana. Every leader and worker is going to work hard and re-establish the bond which the people of Andhra Pradesh once shared with the Congress party.”
Coming out of the meeting, Manickam Tagore, the new Congress in charge of AP, said the focus of the meeting was ‘Mission Andhra’.
“We are seriously focusing on Andhra Pradesh and discussed the strategies that need to be adopted. Our party president and Rahul Gandhi have invited all those like-minded people who have been away from the Congress to rejoin the party. The coming new year will be the year of Congress in AP,” he asserted.
APCC president Gidugu Rudraraju said the strategy for the coming 100 days was discussed at the meeting, and the party president and Rahul Gandhi had provided us with guidance.
“The impact of the Karnataka poll verdict was on Telangana, and now the impact of the Telangana poll verdict will be on Andhra Pradesh. We will closely work with INDIA alliance partners in the State,” he said.
Meanwhile, BR Anil Kumar has been made AICC communication coordinator for Andhra Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.