With Sharmila as APCC chief, Andhra Pradesh is set to witness a new chapter in sibling rivalry

The appointment of Y.S. Sharmila as president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee adds a twist to the election fever in the state, as she aims to rejuvenate the party and attract YSRCP supporters.

The appointment of Y.S. Sharmila as president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) by the party leadership has added a curious twist to the election fever in the State.

The AICC leadership is clearly aiming at rejuvenating the party in Andhra Pradesh, which needs a charismatic leader with the capacity to pull crowds. Party seniors in Delhi are hopeful that Ms. Sharmila, who is the daughter of former Chief Minister late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a strong Congress leader with a huge following, will be able to strike a chord with the people of the State.

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The Congress leaders claim that at a time when the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is witnessing defections by leaders who are denied ticket, Ms. Sharmila’s takeover of the Congress reins will attract a good number of YSR supporters like former Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy and others into the party fold.

The merger of the YSR Telangana Party with the Congress may seem a win-win situation for both sides, but tough tasks await the former in Andhra Pradesh.

Tasked with restoring the past glory of the grand old party in the State, Ms. Sharmila is in a piquant situation, where she is pitted against her own brother and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, for whom she had relentlessly campaigned, leading to his party’s landslide victory in the 2019 elections.

Now, with Ms. Sharmila’s Congress pitted against her brother Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the State will witness a new chapter of sibling rivalry.