Sharmila appointed AP Cong chief, to battle brother for dad’s legacy

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday appointed YS Sharmila, the daughter of late chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, as the new president of the party’s Andhra Pradesh unit, where she will be pitted against her brother and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the battle for power and their father’s legacy.

The official statement added that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has also appointed outgoing PCC president Gidugu Rudra Raju as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

Thanking the Congress leadership for her appointment, Sharmila said she would work faithfully towards restoring the past glory of the party in the State. “I thank Kharge Ji, Sonia Gandhi ji, Rahul Gandhi ji, and KC Venugopal ji for trusting me with post of the president of [Andhra Pradesh unit]. I promise to work faithfully towards rebuilding the party to its past glory in Andhra Pradesh with total commitment and integrity,” she said in a post on X.

Noting that she was looking forward to working closely with each and every Congress foot soldier, Sharmila also sought the support of Gidugu Rudra Raju who resigned as APCC chief to enable her to take over the post.

Manickam Tagore, the AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, congratulated Sharmila on being appointed as the new chief of the State unit, saying “I hope you will contribute to making the Congress party stronger, similar to the way late YS Rajasekhara Reddy did in 1999 and 2004.”

Sharmila had joined the Congress on January 4 in Delhi in the presence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Sharmila had also announced the merger of her party, YSR Telangana party, with the Congress, and said she would fulfil any responsibility given to her.

Lauding the Congress, she had said it is the largest and “most secular” party in the country as it unwaveringly serves all communities and unites all sections of people.