Brother vs Sister battle in Andhra Pradesh could end up benefiting Chandrababu Naidu

YS Sharmila Reddy, (right) with her brother, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Source: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on X)

The curtains are rising on what could become a rabble-rousing family drama involving Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress and his younger sister YS Sharmila Reddy. By appointing the 50-year-old firebrand woman leader as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) ahead of the general elections scheduled early this year, the Congress has ended up pitting her against Jagan Reddy.

The Congress has deliberately drafted Sharmila out of Telangana and into Andhra with a last-ditch effort to revive the party from its moribund state by denting Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP.

What will now start is a bitter family battle for the legacy of later former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR.

Congress Needs YSR Legacy

The Congress in undivided Andhra Pradesh had played a key role in installing the two UPA governments at the Centre in a row during 2004-14 by delivering over 30 Lok Sabha seats. And YSR’s charisma was credited for such a sterling performance. YSR is still regarded as a messiah of the poor for his freebies such as free power for agriculture, Arogyasri (free health scheme) and fee reimbursement scheme for students.

The Congress high command turned hostile towards the YSR family after his killing in a copter crash in 2009. Subsequently, Jagan fell out with the Congress top brass, landed in jail in connection with a slew of corruption cases and finally floated his own party, accusing the party

president Sonia Gandhi of harassing the YSR family. In a desperate attempt to save the Congress from Jagan’s jolt, UPA gave away statehood for Telangana, leaving heartburn for the truncated Andhra Pradesh.

As a result the grand old party has plunged into an existential crisis in Andhra Pradesh as Jagan has literally preyed on its vote bank and the party’s organisational apparatus as well. Jagan Reddy, aided by his mother Vijayalakshmi and sister Sharmila Reddy, toiled hard on the plank of Rajanna Rajyam, promising a welfare state that his father had envisioned. Sharmila launched a marathon 3,000 km foot march and instilled confidence in her brother’s party when he was in jail for 16 months.

Exploiting The YSR Family Feud

After Jagan swept to power in 2019 by trouncing Naidu of the TDP and was firmly settled in the saddle of CM, Sharmila allegedly became victim of Jagan’s hire-and-fire approach. Sharmila sought refuge in Telangana by floating the YSR Telangana party. Vijayamma, as Vijayalakshmi is respectfully addressed in the YSR family, was reportedly pained by the way how Jagan took her daughter “for a ride”, snapped her links with YSR Congress and moved with her daughter.

When YS Vivekananda Reddy, YSR’s brother and Vijayamma’s brother-in-law, was hacked to death and the assailants were accused of enjoying the backing of Jagan Reddy by the victim’s daughter Narreddy Sunitha Reddy, the family feuds reached a flash point.

Jagan’s rule in the past five years has left various sections disgruntled, prompting his rivals to smell an opportunity. The Congress too, after waiting for 10 long years, is out to strike back

to regain its past glory and the cadres and voters which it lost to Jagan Reddy. This is where the return of his estranged sister Sharmila to the Congress fold comes as a reprieve for the grand old party.

By employing Sharmila to exploit the legacy of YSR, the Congress hopes to make a dent into the Jagan’s party and his solid vote bank that includes Muslim minorities, Christians and Malas, a vocal sub-caste within Scheduled Castes.  Such plans seemingly began yielding results

much before Sharmila took over the PCC reins. The ticket losers in the YSRCP and  YSR’s die-hard loyalists, who are not happy with Jagan  such as Alla Ramakrishna Reddy of Mangalagiri (Amaravati capital region) had started rallying behind her.

Advantage Naidu?

The Congress is totally wiped out from the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh following the state bifurcation. Its vote share (1.31 percent) in 2019 was lower than even those who voted NOTA, and is in a pitiable condition.

Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP, who is desperate to come to power by all means, is hoping against hope to benefit from the Sharmila’s role as a vote cutter. As the adage – enemy’s enemy is a friend – goes, Naidu taunted Jagan as one who cheated his own sister, in a bid to drive home his point that the YSRCP leader has reneged on his poll promises to voters.

Will Sharmila play the X-factor in AP’s electoral politics? If so, who will be the beneficiary? With polling not far away – three months to April – we will know the answer soon.

Gali Nagaraja is a senior journalist, formerly associated with The Hindu, The Times of India, and Hindustan Times for over three decades. Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.