Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila is almost certain to enter the election fray from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.
The party leadership is said to be keen on fielding Ms. Sharmila, the new hope of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, from Kadapa, where her cousin from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Y.S. Avinash Reddy, who is Accused No. 8 in the murder case of former Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, is the sitting MP.
Though speculation has been rife over Ms. Sharmila’s likely plan to contest for the Kadapa MP seat, senior Congress leaders maintain stoic silence, waiting for the leadership in Delhi to convey its final decision on the issue.
On March 21, Ms. Sharmila held a meeting with the leaders of Kadapa district to take stock of the existing political scenario, and also to elicit their views on several key issues.
The leaders reportedly exhorted her to contest elections from Kadapa. Responding, Ms. Sharmila said she was ready to follow whatever the leadership wanted her to do. This, many in the party say, is her consent to contest from Kadapa.
Well-placed sources in the party also say that Ms. Sharmila will “almost certainly” fight the electoral battle to capture the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, which is mired in family politics. While the ruling party has decided to retain the candidature of Mr. Avinash Reddy, the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance has not yet announced its candidate.
Ms. Sharmila, who is considered the trump card of the Congress, is treading cautiously, taking her time to make an official statement on the decision. Seniors in the party are unanimous in their opinion that a great deal of assessment is needed before she takes the plunge, lest the credibility of the party, which has been improving after her recent entry, may plummet again.
Prestigious seat
Kadapa being a prestigious segment, which has been traditionally contested by members of the YSR family, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will leave no stone unturned and put to use all his might to ensure that the seat is retained by his party man. And the Congress leaders are wary of this. “We cannot afford to make her contest the elections and allow her to lose the battle,” said a leader seeking anonymity.
Given the fact that Ms. Sharmila will be pitted against a formidable opponent like the YSRCP, the Congress has the Herculean task of galvanising itself into organising its affairs effectively in a few weeks time.
Faced with serious resource crunch, the party has to identify booth-level agents and activate its units at the village, mandal and district levels.
The party intends to go slow with regard to campaigning on account of fund crunch. A few of the seniors feel that active canvassing by the family members of Vivekananda Reddy against Mr. Avinash Reddy will stand Ms. Sharmila in good stead.
Sources also indicate that the leadership may ask Vivekananda Reddy’s wife Sowbhagyamma to contest on the Congress ticket should Ms. Sharmila refuse to enter the fray, and the party is likely to release the list of its candidates by March 25.
