YS Sharmila all set to take oath as APCC chief today

After a hiatus of 25 years, YS Sharmila Reddy, a scion of the family of former chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy, is poised to assume the role of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president. It is noteworthy that YS Rajasekhar Reddy held the position of APCC chief in the unified Andhra Pradesh, whereas Sharmila Reddy is set to assume the same role in the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.
The inauguration ceremony for Sharmila Reddy’s appointment as the APCC Chief is scheduled for January 21 at the Aahwanam Kalyana Mandapam in Tadigadapa, near Vijayawada.
Sources within the Congress party have indicated that no other leader from a family has held the position of APCC chief for a second term. This marks a historic moment for the State, as YS Sharmila Reddy, following in the footsteps of her father YS Rajasekhar Reddy, assumes the responsibilities of the Congress party, according to insiders. Interestingly, after a gap of 25 years, Sharmila Reddy aims to guide the Congress Party to prominence in the upcoming elections.
Historically, only Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy, Dharmapuri Srinivas, Jalagam Vengala Rao, and Kona Prabhakara Rao have held the combined APCC Chief post for two terms. Except for Dharmapuri Srinivas and Kona Prabhakara Rao, the remaining leaders, Dr. YSR and Jalagam Vengala Rao, served as Chief Ministers for the combined state.
Former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy assumed the role of APCC president from 1983 to 85 when the party was in opposition. Subsequently, before the 1999 elections, he held the position for a second term from 1998 to 99, during which the Congress party remained in opposition. Similarly, Sharmila is set to take on the party leadership amid challenging times, as the Congress party has faced significant challenges over the past decade.
Notably, YS Sharmila Reddy steps into a leadership role at a time when the Congress party is grappling with a severe crisis. Interestingly, she will be contending against her brother, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP, in the upcoming elections. Despite Sharmila’s impending entry into the Congress, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy did not make any efforts to deter her from joining the party.
Conversely, several discontented YSRCP leaders are in contact with YS Sharmila, expressing their willingness to switch allegiance. Among them are numerous sitting MLAs, former MLAs, and MPs who were denied YSRCP tickets for the upcoming elections and have decided to leave the party before the release of the election notification.
As a result, one of the senior leaders within the party believes that achieving the YSRCP’s target of 175 segments in the State will be challenging. Additionally, he emphasises the significant role the Congress party is poised to play in the 2024 elections.