YS Sharmila, the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, has announced that she is going to contest from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. The move pits her against her cousin and the sitting YSR Congress party MP, YS Avinash Reddy, in what is set to be a fierce battle for the parliamentary seat.
The announcement was made after Congress released its list of 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, with Ms. Sharmila being one of the prominent names.
Why is Kadapa in focus?
Ms. Sharmila, daughter of former Chief Minister, late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, has been vocal about her commitment to bringing development to the region and has criticized the incumbent government for neglecting the area. Kadapa (YSR District) has been a YS family bastion since the late 1980s.
Ms. Sharmila also criticized her brother, Chief Minister YS Jagan, for allowing the accused in her uncle’s murder case to contest for a parliamentary seat. MP Avinash Reddy is one of the accused in former MP and Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, and that has added another layer of complexity to the political battle.
The contest in Kadapa is not just a family affair but has significant political implications. The outcome could shape the political narrative in the state and influence the fortunes of both the Congress and the YSR Congress party. Under Sharmila’s leadership, the Congress is looking to make a comeback in the state and sees the Kadapa contest as an opportunity to establish its presence.
Meanwhile, the NDA alliance has fielded TDP’s Mr. Bhupesh Reddy for the Kadapa parliamentary seat.