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Huge crowd expected at Jagan’s sister’s party launch amid Covid challenge
2,055 fresh Covid-19 infections were reported in Telangana till late Wednesday evening, pushing the tally to over 3.18 lakh, while the death toll rose to 1,741 with seven more fatalities.
YS Sharmila, sister of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress party, or YSRCP, president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, will launch a new regional party at a big public meeting at Telangana’s Khammam on Friday, at a time when some states have banned mass gatherings including political rallies due to ta surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
The Sankalpa Sabha (meeting to take a resolve) at Pavillion Grounds is expected to draw at least 100,000 people and a procession of nearly 1,000 vehicles that will bring Sharmila and her followers from her Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills to the rally ground in Khammam.
Former YSRCP leader Konda Raghava Reddy said permission for the rally was taken from Khammam police and all Covid-19 containment norms will be followed at the event.
“We shall ensure that everybody wears a mask and maintains social distancing. We shall supply sanitiser to the crowd,” he said.
A total of 2,055 fresh Covid-19 infections were reported in Telangana till late Wednesday evening, pushing the tally to over 318,000, while the death toll rose to 1,741 with seven more fatalities. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases (398), followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (214) and Rangareddy (174), a government bulletin said on Thursday. The state has 13,362 active cases and the case fatality rate was 0.54%, compared to 1.3% nationally.
Reddy blamed Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders for trying to “jeopardise” the meeting by citing the coronavirus disease scare. “In fact, the number of Covid-19 cases in Khammam is very less. Yet, we shall take all precautions,” Reddy reiterated.
Senior TRS leader from Khammam and legislative council member Balasani Lakshmi Narayana said there was no need for the TRS to create any hurdles for Sharmila's public meeting in Khammam on Friday. "We don't consider it as a big development, as Sharmila is no big force. Maybe, some people who wefre benefitted during her father YSR's regime might turn up at the meeting, but that will hardly have any impact on the state politics," Lakshmi Narayana said.
Khammam town assistant commissioner of police (ACP) B Anjaneyulu said permission was granted for the rally on the condition that Covid-19 norms are strictly adhered to by the organisers. “We are not bothered about the turnout at the meeting; we have asked them to follow Covid-19 restrictions as per the government order. If there is any violation, we shall take stringent action,” the ACP said.
Covid-19 containment guidelines issued by the Centre on March 23, effective from April 1 allow mass gatherings outside containment zones leaving the states to decide on restrictions locally depending upon the situation. It directs states to strictly enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks, maintaining hygiene, and 6 feet distance in public places. States that are worst-hit by the second wave of Covid-19 have announced a slew of restrictions ranging from night curfew, local lockdowns, transport shutdown and a ban on mass events. Punjab is the first state to have banned political rallies to prevent the spread of the disease.
Sharmila, who earlier announced her entry into Telangana politics, chose Khammam for the inaugural rally because of the huge support base for her father, former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. Her brother’s YSRCP won a Lok Sabha seat and two assembly seats in Khammam in the 2014 general elections.
Sharmila will announce the party’s name, unveil the party flag and spell out her party’s ideology at the meeting and explain her reasons for entering Telangana politics. She had earlier declared her intention to establish “Rajanna Rajyam” (regime of Rajasekhar Reddy) in the state.
Her mother YS Vijayalakshmi will also attend the rally as a chief guest, according to her close associates. Vijayalakshmi, who became an MLA on a YSRCP ticket from Pulivendula after her husband’s death, has kept away from active politics after her loss in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Visakhapatnam.
Political analyst S Ramakrishna said Sharmila would definitely make an impact in the Telangana politics, at least in some pockets of Khammam, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts. "There is a definitely some vacuum in Telangana politics at least on the opposition side, as there is no strong opposition for the TRS. People who are looking for alternative might vote for Sharmila party in some areas," he said.
