YS Sharmila uses Viveka’s murder as ammo as she kicks off poll campaign in Andhra

YS Jagan and Sharmila are the children of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR).

Setting out on her eight-day bus Yatra from Amagamally in Budgwel Assembly segment, she said: “Here I am, daughter of late YSR contesting against YS Avinash Reddy who is accused of murdering my paternal uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy,”

She appealed to people to stand by her since YS Jagan gave the YSRCP ticket to Avinash Reddy to fight against her.

With late Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Sunitha Reddy by her side, as she campaigned, the APCC chief sent out a message loud and clear that she was using YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder as her poll ammunition against her brother.

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‘Battle between dharma and adharma’

Sharmila said: “This is a battle between dharma and adharma. I am on the side of dharma. You should defeat Avinash Reddy who revels in murder politics and Jagna Mohan Reddy who is protecting him.”

She said murderers should not be allowed to enter Parliament.

“Jagan Mohan Reddy is fielding someone who has killed his paternal uncle. This is abominable,” she said, underscoring the need to cast aside murder politics if the state had to move on the road to development.

Sharmila said that her father had created miracles in undivided Andhra Pradesh, and his son Jagan Mohan Reddy mortgaged the state.

“There is no one to question the delay in the implementation of the assurances given to AP in the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014. The state did not get special category status. The Kadapa steel factory remains only on paper. It has been reduced to a project for which only foundation stones are laid, without ever anyone making any sincere effort in commissioning or completing the project,” she said.

Sharmila said that if the people want development in the state, they should elect the Congress as it alone can deliver results and alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had become a “slave” to the BJP.

She appealed to the people to elect party nominee Vijaya Jyothi from the Budwel Assembly constituency.

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‘YSR and Sharmila are the same’

YS Sunitha Reddy said that YSR and Sharmila are the same and that she deserves the blessing of the people for bringing development to the constituency and the state.

She described the contest as one that was happening between those who had murdered YS Vivekananda Reddy and Sharmila.

“My father wanted Shamila to become an MP. Please make his dream come true,” he said.

Former Union Minister Kill Kriparani who left the YSRCP and joined the Congress in the presence of Sharmila in Budwel, said that YS Jagan had marginalised her even though she had toiled for the growth of the party in North Andhra districts.

The former union minister said that there was no recognition to her in the party though she and party workers had worked round the clock to further the party’s interests.

“For me, YSR is our God,” Kripa Rani said and asserted that the state was in dire need of development which was possible only with the Congress.

She said she was seeing YSR in Sharmila and expressed confidence that the Congress would come to power in the state under her leadership.

“Jagan Mohan Reddy is a dictator and he should be dislodged from power,” she said.

Elections for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on 13 May and the counting of votes is slated for 4 June.

(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)