APCC chief Sharmila urges cadre to focus on local body elections

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president YS Sharmila Reddy has called on party leaders and workers to approach the upcoming local body elections with full seriousness, aiming to secure the maximum number of seats. She emphasised that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is determined to ensure the Congress Party’s success. Sharmila also mentioned that several national leaders would visit the state to campaign during the elections, further highlighting that the Congress Party is the only viable alternative in the state and currently serves as the opposition.
The new APCC state committee met at the A Convention in Vijayawada on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Congress Party State Affairs In-charge Manickam Tagore, Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member N Raghuveera Reddy, Special Invitee and former Union Minister MM Pallam Raju, former Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, former Union Minister JD Seelam, and other senior leaders.
Addressing the meeting, YS Sharmila Reddy acknowledged that the Congress Party is currently in a weakened state in Andhra Pradesh, but she stressed that with collective effort, the party could overcome this challenge. She urged every leader to work diligently over the next five years, noting that with persistent efforts, the party could achieve significant progress during this period.
Sharmila further outlined two major objectives for the Congress Party: the first is to strengthen the party’s presence in the state, and the second is to support Rahul Gandhi’s candidacy for Prime Minister. She reminded attendees that the late Chief Minister, Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy, had always hoped to see Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. While expressing her own ambition to become Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, she reiterated the importance of Rahul Gandhi leading the nation.
In terms of strategy, Sharmila presented a plan to expand the party’s influence, particularly at the grassroots level. She stressed the need to strengthen the party at the booth level, stating that each of the 46,000 booths in the state should have at least 20 party workers, creating a formidable force for the Congress. Additionally, she called for the formation of committees at the village, mandal, and district levels in the coming days.
Sharmila also criticised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing them of being subservient to the BJP. She alleged that none of these leaders spoke out against the BJP, even when it acted against the interests of Andhra Pradesh. She announced that the Congress Party would stage a protest against the BJP on October 2, Gandhi’s birth anniversary, to highlight the injustices done to the state.
AICC Secretary Palak Verma, and senior leaders Gidugu Rudra Raju, Dr S Sailaja Nath, Dr N Tulasi Reddy, and others were also present at the meeting.