Hyderabad: YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi and her daughter Y.S. Sharmila are not in the race to contest the coming elections.
According to sources, the YSR family has decided that except Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party President, no other family member will contest in the coming elections to the AP assembly.
Y.S. Jagan will contest from the Pulivendula assembly seat and his cousin and present MP Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat , both of which are safe seats.
Vijayalakshmi contested from the Vizag Lok Sabha constituency in the previous elections and was defeated by the BJP candidate K. Haribabu.
In the past, she had been elected twice from Pulivendula. There was speculation that Sharmila was likely to contest for the Lok Sabha in the coming elections. This was, however, denied by YSRC leaders. Jagan has decided to use his sister Sharmila as a star campaigner in the next elections.
In the previous elections also Sharmila campaigned for YSRC candidates and when Jagan was lodged in jail in CBI cases, Sharmila conducted “Odarpu Yatra” till he came out of jail. “As Sharmila also attracts huge crowds like Jagan, her campaign in the elections will definitely help the party” said another YSRC leader.
But in last few years Sharmila has been silent and has kept away from party affairs.
“If Sharmila becomes active in the party, naturally some party leaders will approach for different issues. This will create unnecessary problems in the party” said a senior party leader.
It would create a second power centre and also give scope for criticism by opposition parties, the sources felt.
After the elections if Sharmila wants to become an MP, she may be nominated by the party for the Rajya Sabha.
