The stage is set for a bitter family battle in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency with the Congress fielding its state unit president YS Sharmila, the estranged sister of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, from the seat.
Her electoral debut from the family bastion is expected to witness an acrimonious fight in the high-profile political family as she will take on her cousin YS Avinash Reddy who is an accused in the murder of their uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy more than five years ago. Avinash Reddy is seeking re-election from Kadapa on the ruling YSR Congress Party ticket.
Sharmila’s electoral debut from Kadapa is keenly watched as she will be fighting against the party headed by her own brother and taking on her cousin who was charge-sheeted in the murder of her uncle.
Kadapa has been the bastion of the YSR family since 1989. It was represented by YSR thrice in 1989, 1991 and 1998 and later by Vivekananda Reddy twice in 1999 and 2004. In 2009, Jagan was elected MP from Kadapa and he won the seat again in the by-elections held in 2012. For the last two terms – 2014 and 2019, Avinash Reddy has been representing the constituency.
The unresolved murder case has acquired political overtones and become an election issue ahead of the simultaneous polls to the assembly and Lok Sabha, scheduled on May 13. Jagan is under attack by a section of his family members, including Sharmila, for “shielding murderers and obstructing justice.”
Sharmila, who has been attacking his brother and his government on multiple issues, said it was not an easy decision for her to contest from Kadapa, as she was aware it would create a split within her family and confusion among the followers of her father's late YSR.
“But I was compelled to take a decision, as my own brother Jagan Mohan Reddy was responsible for the rift within the family. After becoming the chief minister, he was a completely changed man. He encouraged murder politics in the state and gave the party ticket to Avinash Reddy, who was accused in the murder of Vivekananda Reddy,” she said.
Sharmila reiterated that the accused were able to move freely without any punishment despite having all the evidence against them, only because Jagan is shielding them. “It took me a lot of time to realise that Jagan had used the murder of Vivekananda Reddy for his political gains. I could not tolerate Jagan giving the party ticket to Avinash Reddy from Kadapa,” she said.
The PCC chief recalled that Vivekananda Reddy’s last wish was to see her as an MP from Kadapa. “I did not take it seriously then, but now I understand why he wanted me to become an MP. I have now decided to contest the elections only to prevent a murder accused from becoming an MP again,” she added.
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