Sharmila named APCC chief : Gidugu to be special invitee of CWC

In a strategic move leading up to the upcoming general elections, the All India Congress
Committee (AICC) has named Y S Sharmila Reddy as the new president of the Andhra
Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). Sharmila, the daughter of former Chief Minister Dr
YS Rajasekhar Reddy and the sister of current Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be
at the helm of the Congress party in the State during the Legislative Assembly and Lok
Sabha elections scheduled for April-May 2024.
The announcement follows the resignation of Gidugu Rudra Raju from the APCC president post on January 15, Monday. Simultaneously, Rudra Raju has been appointed as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), as disclosed by AICC president Mallikharjuna Kharge on Tuesday.
Sharmila’s entry into Congress was marked by the merger of her YSRTP into the party on January 4 in New Delhi, where AICC President Mallikharjuna Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi were present. During her induction, Sharmila expressed her commitment to take on any responsibility entrusted to her by the party leadership.
Initially hesitant to assume a leadership role within the Congress in the state, Sharmila will now directly contest against her brother YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, YSRCP, in the upcoming elections. Following the state’s bifurcation in 2014, Congress faced significant setbacks in Andhra Pradesh, prompting the AICC to assign the party’s responsibilities to Sharmila for the upcoming electoral battle against her brother’s party.
Gidugu Rudra Raju, who served as APCC Chief for 14 months, tendered his resignation on Monday at the behest of AICC Chief Mallikharjuna Kharge after participating in the Bharat Jodi Nyay Yatra. Post the announcement of Sharmila’s appointment, celebrations erupted at the Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada, the party’s state office. Party leaders engaged
in cake-cutting ceremonies, fired crackers, and chanted slogans in support of Sharmila.
APCC general secretary M Suresh, Vijayawada City President Naraharasetti Narasimha Rao, and other leaders joined in the festivities. Several leaders extended their congratulations to the newly appointed APCC president YS Sharmila and CWC special invitee Gidugu Rudra
Raju.
APCC working president Janga Gowtham expressed confidence in the party regaining its former glory in the State, acknowledging Rudra Raju’s efforts for the party’s grassroots development. APCC vice president Kolanukonda Sivaji affirmed his commitment to working
under Sharmila’s leadership and party affairs in-charge Manickam Tagore to fulfill the 100-day action plan for the upcoming general elections, expressing confidence in reclaiming the Congress party’s vote bank from the YSRCP in the State.