Congress aims to pin down Jagan through his sister Sharmila

New Delhi: YS Sharmila is likely to merge her party with the Congress on July 8, the 74th birth anniversary of her father and former chief minister of united Andhra pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR.

By merging the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) with it, the Congress is trying to target Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy through his sister.

This also means that differences between Jagan and Sharmila are irreconcilable given the Andhra Pradesh chief minister's strong dislike for the Congress.

After YSR died in a chopper crash on September 2, 2009, Jagan had resigned from the Congress in November 2010 after defying the leadership by going on ‘Odarpu yatra’ to console families of those who had committed suicide following the death.

The Congress has maintained that YSR was its tallest leader who worked for social justice and inclusive development.

YSR’s leadership was credited for the Congress’ victory in the Lok Sabha and state elections in 2004 and 2009.

But the Congress was decimated in Andhra Pradesh and failed to win any seat in the 2014 assembly and Lok Sabha elections held after the creation of Telangana.

Since then, the Congress has been relegated to the political margins in Andhra Pradesh. It failed to win any seat in the Lok Sabha as well as the assembly elections in 2014 and 2019.

Through Sharmila, the Congress is trying to reclaim YSR's political legacy and counter Jagan who has claimed to be the one and only heir of the late leader. She is also expected to campaign for the Congress both in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

It is said that Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal and Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar played a key role in wooing Sharmila.

Her husband and noted evangelist Brother Anil Kumar too would campaign for the Congress.

Anil Kumar, who has significant influence over Telugu Christians, was once tipped to launch his own political party in Andhra Pradesh.

He is said to have been instrumental in Jagan's victory in 2019.

The move is bound to rub Jagan the wrong way but then the Congress argues that he has been a subservient to the Modi government for the past four years. However, it remains to be seen if Sharmila is able to bring back the glorious YSR days for the Congress in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.