Andhara: Vijayamma appeals to Kadapa voters to support Sharmila

Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), May 11: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s mother Y. S. Vijayamma on Saturday appealed to people of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency to vote for her daughter and state Congress President Y. S. Sharmila Reddy, who is contesting from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.

Breaking her silence on the last day of the campaign, Vijayamma released a video appealing to voters of Kadapa to elect her daughter with a huge majority.

She said she was making an appeal to all those who respect and love the Late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to cast their vote in favour of his daughter and gave her an opportunity to serve the Kadapa constituency.

Vijayamma, who has been staying away from active politics for the last couple of years, is reported to be in the United States.

Sharmila has entered the fray from Kadapa against her cousin and sitting MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

Sharmila has been bitterly criticising her brother for fielding Avinash Reddy despite the CBI naming him as an accused in the murder of their uncle and former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy.

Supported by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Y. S. Sunitha Reddy, Sharmila has called upon people to defeat Jagan Mohan Reddy for shielding the murder accused.

Vivekananda Reddy was murdered a few days before the 2019 elections.

Sharmila, who had campaigned actively for YSRCP in the 2014 and 2019 elections, fell out with his brother when he allegedly started ignoring her after becoming the Chief Minister in 2019.

Vijayamma resigned as the honorary President of YSRCP in 2022 to back her daughter, who had floated YSR Telangana Party. She merged the party with Congress early this year and was appointed president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress committee.

YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was popularly known, was Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009. He died in a helicopter crash in September 2009, a few months after leading the Congress to power for a second consecutive term.

In the May 13 elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy is seeking re-election from Pulivendula, one of the seven Assembly segments in the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.