Y. S. Sharmila

Political career

Early political career

Sharmila made headlines after she took up campaigning on behalf of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) along with her mother Y. S. Vijayamma, in the absence of her elder brother Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy from June 2012 in Andhra Pradesh. She worked as the party convener for the YSRCP, which won 15 of the 18 assembly seats and 1 of the 1 Parliament seats in the by-elections.

Sharmila began her 3000 km at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district on 18 October 2012. She completed it on 4 August 2013 in Ichchapuram. She toured 14 districts as part of the walkathon.

Before the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Sharmila undertook an 11-day bus Yatra across Andhra Pradesh in branded buses with a “Bye Bye Babu” timer clock, suggesting that it was time for the then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The campaign under the name “Praja Theerpu - Bye Bye Babu” covered 1553 km and 39 public addresses. She also handed out over 20,000 autographed caps.

YSR Telangana Party

In February 2021, Sharmila stated that she had political differences with her brother Jagan, who is the founder of the YSR Congress Party, and claimed there was no presence of the party in the state of Telangana.

On 9 April 2021, Sharmila had announced that she would launch a new political party on 8 July 2021 in Telangana. She chose the date because it is the birth date of her father, Rajasekhara Reddy. Ahead of the party's launch, she has started campaigning against the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi government.

On 8 July 2021, she announced the formation of the YSR Telangana Party.

During November 2023, Sharmila declared that her party would abstain from participating in the Telangana Legislative Assembly election to the media at an event in Hyderabad. She acknowledged the electoral potential for the Congress party and underscored that their aim was not to undermine the Congress but rather to pledge support if the Indian National Congress were to assume power, ensuring the successful implementation of their policies.

On 4 January 2024, she merged YSR Telangana Party with Indian National Congress.

Indian National Congress

Post the merger of YSRTP with INC, Sharmila joined the Indian National Congress party at New Delhi in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

On 16 January 2024, Sharmila was appointed as president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Personal life

Sharmila was born into a Reddy political-business family to Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Vijayamma in Hyderabad. She second married Morusupalli Anil Kumar in 1995. Kumar, born into a Hindu Brahmin family in Telangana, converted to Christianity and now leads Anil World Evangelism. The couple have two children – a son and a daughter and resides in Hyderabad.

References

References

1. Quint, The. (2024-01-16). "YS Sharmila Appointed Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief After Rudra Raju Steps Down".
2. (16 January 2024). "YS Sharmila appointed Andhra Congress Chief after G Rudra Raju quits post".
3. (16 January 2024). "YS Sharmila Appointed Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief".
4. "Jagan DECIMATES Congress, TDP in Andhra by-polls".
5. (2012-11-20). "Y S Jagan mohan reddy sister sharmila takes over party". [[The Economic Times]].
6. Ravi Reddy, M. V. Subramanyam. (19 October 2012). "Sharmila's padayatra draws crowds". The Hindu.
7. "Sharmila Concludes 3,112-Km Padayatra".
8. Yadedya Talari. (29 March 2019). "YS Vijayamma, Sharmila to participate in elections campaign". The Hans India.
9. N., Rahul. (12 June 2021). "Y.S. Sharmila {{!}} The rise of the daughter".
10. "కాంగ్రెస్ లో విలీనం పై షర్మిల డెడ్ లైన్ {{!}} Sharmila's deadline for merger in Congress {{!}}{{!}} GR TV Telugu".
11. (25 February 2021). "Differences with Jagan? Affirmative, says Sharmila". The New Indian Express.
12. Ganeshan, Ganeshan. (10 April 2021). "It's official: YS Sharmila to launch party in Telangana on July 8". The News Minute.
13. (8 July 2021). "Sharmila is here to fulfill incomplete goals of YSR". The Hindu.
14. "YS Sharmila: తెలంగాణ ఎన్నికల్లో పోటీకి వైతెపా దూరం: షర్మిల".
15. Banakar, Pushkar. (2024-01-04). "Sister's Second Act: Y S Sharmila joins Congress in Andhra battle against Jagan".
16. (2024-01-03). "Morning briefing: YS Sharmila to join Congress on Jan 4; 12 killed in bus-truck collision, all the latest news".
17. (4 January 2024). "Major boost to Cong ahead of LS polls as YS Sharmila joins party".
18. "YS Sharmila merges YSR Telangana party with Cong".
19. (16 January 2024). "YS Sharmila appointed Andhra Congress Chief after G Rudra Raju quits post".
20. Prasada Reddy, T. Sivarama, ''An Autobiography of Y. S. Chinna Konda Reddy'', published by Y. S. Prakash Reddy, Kadapa, 2010.[https://www.uecf.net/books/konda_reddy_english.pdf]
21. Nichenametla, Prasad. (2024-01-27). "Why Jagan's loyalists are urging his sister Sharmila to adopt the name Morusupalli".
22. Menon, Amarnath K.. (4 December 2010). "Andhra Pradesh: The priest of power".
23. (2024-01-14). "Y.S. Sharmila invites TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to her son's wedding". The Hindu.
24. (2024-01-02). "Sharmila's son to get engaged on Jan 18".