As elections to the Telangana Assembly are fast approaching, the Congress is feeling the dire need to fall back on the legacy of former undivided AP chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy to address the ‘T’ (Telangana) factor in India’s newest state. As the Reddy vote bank is crucial, the Congress is leaving no stone unturned to enlist the support of YSR’s family. The grand old party had extended political support to YSR when he was alive. Now it is cosying up to YSRTP president YS Sharmila Reddy, daughter of YSR. She has been banking solely on her father’s legacy and has promised to bring back ‘Rajanna’ government. After being part of YSRCP headed by her brother and AP chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, she chose to leave the party due to strained family relations.
Sharmila was instrumental in taking the party forward. The rift between Jagan and Sharmila is believed to be over sharing of the family assets acquired by their father. She admitted this in a TV talk show and later exited AP politics quietly. She then took a plunge in Telangana politics. She has always criticised the Congress for doing ‘injustice’ to her father. Still, efforts are reportedly being made to bring her into the Congress’ fold for two-way benefit. For, at the end of the day, the powerful Reddy community has a say over the prospects of any of the parties in electoral fray.
According to one estimate, Sharmila may be having at least 5% votes in T-state, given YSR’s influence on a section of the voters. The Reddy community has tilted slightly towards the Congress after the post of TPCC chief was given to a Reddy man. Sharmila’s entry might help Congress in getting more votes from the Reddy community in both Rayalaseema and Telangana. Lakhs of members of the Reddy community hailing from Rayalaseema are settled in Telangana region. In his heyday, YSR could attract them in large numbers as APCC president, Leader of the Opposition, and as the chief minister.
After the formation of Telangana State, the Reddy community sailed with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (now Bharat Rashtra Samiti). Now the Reddy community’s priority may be the Congress since the party’s graph is rising. Should YSRTP merge with the Congress, support from the community for the grand old party could be total.
Sharmila may have reservations about merging her outfit with the Congress beyond Telangana State. For, the Congress could use her services in AP to the detriment of her brother and Chief Minister Jagan. She does not want to disturb her brother, despite differences within the family. In any case, the Congress may benefit from a possible merger with YSRTP.
Since bifurcation, Jagan has been trying to be in the good books of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Jagan had handed over buildings worth hundreds of crores of rupees in the Secretariat premises to the Telangana government free of cost and has not uttered a single world regarding AP’s claims of nearly Rs. 6 000 crore dues from TS for supplying electricity. Jagan is perhaps paying back KCR out of gratitude for the help the latter had rendered in helping Jagan wrest power in AP by unseating TDP supremo and then chief minister of AP N. Chandrababu Naidu. In fact, due to Naidu’s previous attempt to unseat KCR in 2018, the latter only gave a ‘return gift’.
Senior leader and former cabinet colleague of PV Narasimha Rao Dr.Chinta Mohan has commented that Sharmila should not expect leadership should she merge her party with the Congress. There are larger questions: Will she disturb her own brother and his democratic empire in AP by agreeing to the diktats of the Congress? If it is the question of strengthening of the Congress in AP; then the moot point is: at whose cost? If the situation demands, will the Congress have truck with Jagan owning him as the rightful heir to YSR’s legacy? These questions will have to be answered before the possible merger of YSRTP with Congress!
