Jagan Reddy's Sister Launches Party In Telangana, He Stays Away

A roadshow followed by a grand event with a glitzy laser show and crowds at a function hall in Hyderabad marked the launch of YSR Telangana Party by Y S Sharmila, the daughter of former chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, on his birthday.

Ms Sharmila said she would bring 'Rajanna Rajyam' to Telangana, and would take forward the welfare promises made and fulfilled by her father. She said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had failed to fulfill promises and added that she would go on a padyatra in 100 days to interact with people and understand their problems.

On the river water row between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, she said both the CMs should sit together and resolve the Krishna water issue. Hitting out at the BJP and the ruling TRS in the state, she alleged that both parties were hand in glove.

Ms Sharmila had earlier said she will not allow even one extra drop of water that belongs to Telangana to go to Andhra Pradesh.

Her remarks come at a time when security forces have been deployed at all the major project sites along the river and there is high tension between the two states over the sensitive issue.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has distanced himself from his sister's political foray into Telangana even before her first public meeting in Khammam three months ago.

Ms Sharmila's mother, Y S Vijayalakshmi, who had stood by her son when he launched his political party after moving away from the Congress, was now by the side of her daughter.

"YSR brought up Sharmila like a princess. Sharmila has no reason to come into politics except to fulfill the dreams that YSR had for you," Y S Vijayalakshmi told the gathering.

On Thursday morning, Ms Sharmila and her mother paid respects at the final resting place of YSR at Idupulapaya in Kadapa.

Jagan Mohan Reddy was busy with public events in neighbouring Anantapur and visited his father's final resting place separately in the evening.

Ms Sharmila came by a special flight to Hyderabad and took part in a massive roadshow.

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was a popular Congress chief minister till his death in a chopper crash in 2009. After his son, now his daughter is invoking his legacy to gain a political foothold in Telangana.

Responding to the party's launch, the BJP's chief

spokesperson in Telangana, K Krishna Saagar Rao, said the whole programme was like a new movie's audio release event and nothing more.

"Her party has neither relevance on which it is founded, nor any ideology. The entire event smacks of self-promotion and plays out like a poorly scripted daily TV soap opera," he said.