Hyderabad: Promising welfare, self-reliance and equality, Y.S. Sharmila, daughter of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) launched her political party – the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) today in the city. She announced the new outfit’s formation on the birth anniversary of her father.
Addressing a public meeting, Sharmila discussed how her newly formed party would carry on YSR’s legacy. She stated that her party will aim to promote the welfare of farmers, Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribes community and make strides in the health and employment sectors.
Sharmila also stated that Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is defrauding the public by not regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. “A number of people even today are standing outside hospitals hoping to seek treatment but to no avail,” she claimed.
Invoking self-reliance, Sharmila said that what the state of Telangana needs is not KCR’s assurances that state is the number one state in the country, but instead the ability to be self-reliant. “My aim would be to make families, villages, and the entire state of Telangana self-reliant.” she proclaimed.
Speaking about equality, Sharmila claimed to provide 50% of her seats to women if she wins. She stated that the first woman home minister was under her late father’s governance and she would strive to do the same in her party as well.
Stating that unlike the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which “uses the minority for vote bank” and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which “expresses hatred towards minorities”, Sharmila said her party would fight to ensure the development and growth of minorities who feel persecuted in Telangana.
Sharmila, whose brother is the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, also added that the reason Congress exists in Telangana today is due to her father’s legacy. Her address was scattered with glorious references to YSR as she time and again chanted “Johar Y.S.R. Johar Telangana (Long live YSR. Long Live Telangana)”.
While it is unclear how Sharmila’s party will perform in Telangana, many political analysts believe that her attempt is a part of KCR’s ploy to split the opposition votes, or to divide it further. In the state, the BJP has been staking claim as the main opposition, but has yet to prove itself fully. The Congress, which has been in a major slump, now however has new vigour with Malkajgiri MP A. Revanth Reddy becoming the new party chief.