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Andhra Congress chief calls for her brother CM Jagan Reddy’s ouster from power
Addressing a rally, Sharmila said Andhra Pradesh would witness rapid development and a peaceful atmosphere only if chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is defeated in the coming elections
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila on Friday called for the ouster of her brother state chief minister and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy from power if the state has to be brought back on the tracks of development.
Sharmila, who is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Kadapa parliamentary constituency, kick-started her election campaign on Friday with a bus yatra from Amagampalli village of Kasinayana block in YSR Kadapa district.
Addressing a rally, Sharmila said Andhra Pradesh would witness rapid development and a peaceful atmosphere only if CM Reddy is defeated in the coming elections.
“He (Jagan Reddy) is encouraging murder politics in the state. He is misusing his power to shield those who were involved in the murder of my uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy,” Sharmila alleged.
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Sharmila said she had decided to contest the elections from the Kadapa constituency only to prevent the killers of Vivekananda Reddy from entering the Parliament again.
“On one side, here is Sharmila who is fighting for justice for Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter and on the other, there is the YSRCP candidate who perpetrated the murder and wanted to buy voters with money and power. It is for the people to decide,” she said.
The YSRCP has fielded incumbent MP YS Avinash Reddy from Kadapa against cousin Sharmila.
The state Congress president said when her father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister during the combined Andhra Pradesh, he had implemented several welfare schemes such as fee reimbursement, crop loan waiver and Arogya Sri and undertaken several developmental programmes like Jalayagnam.
“All those schemes have been given a burial after bifurcation. While he was in the opposition, Jagan had boasted that he would bring special category status to Andhra Pradesh. But after coming to power, he had mortgaged the state to the Centre,” said Sahrmila.
Sharmila said there has been no development in the state in the last five years. No industries had been set up, there was no proper capital city and the Polavaram major irrigation project remained in limbo, she claimed.
“Had YSR been alive, there would have been all-round development in the state. The golden days of YSR could be brought back only if the Congress comes to power in the state again,” she said.
Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter N Sunitha, who took part in the rally, said her father had always wished to see Sharmila as a Lok Sabha member.
“They got my father murdered only for political gains; and are contesting the elections again for the same political gains,” she alleged and called upon the people to vote for Sharmila in the coming elections.
YSRCP leaders have not yet reacted to Sharmila’s comments.
The YSRCP had announced the list of candidates for all 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Congress has also released its list of candidates for five Lok Sabha seats.
Andhra Pradesh will vote on May 13 in the single phase. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
