Congress' Andhra Pradesh unit president YS Sharmila on Tuesday, April 2, targeted her brother and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with the allegation that he again fielded the "killer" of their uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. Sharmila also alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy encouraged "the politics of murder".
Addressing media persons at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district after the Congress leadership announced her as the party candidate from Kadapa constituency where her cousin YS Avinash Reddy is seeking re-election as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) candidate, she said she was contesting "to stop killers of Vivekananda Reddy from entering the legislature".
The Congress leader alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy not only shielded the murderer but also fielded him as a candidate and slammed him for giving a ticket to Avinash Reddy once again. Avinash is an accused in former MP YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case.
Sharmila offered tributes at the final resting place of her father and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy at Idupulapaya. She was accompanied by her mother YS Vijayamma and senior Congress leaders NV Raghuveera Reddy and Tulsi Reddy.
She said that entering the fray from Kadapa as the Congress candidate was not an easy decision.
"I knew it was not an easy decision. I took the decision despite knowing that if I contest, it will vertically split my family. Before the previous elections, Jagan Anna said Sharmila is not my sister but she is my child. After he became Chief Minister, he was totally a different person," she said.
Sharmila said her brother encouraged the politics of murder. "He backed those who killed my Chinnanna (uncle) Vivekananda Reddy and who got him killed. Jagan is helping the killers escape," she said. She said Vivekananda Reddy’s last wish was to see her contest for the Lok Sabha from Kadapa.
She alleged that those who killed Vivekananda Reddy for their political interests were protected by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Former minister and former MP, Vivekananda Reddy, the younger brother of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. He was alone at his residence then.
In April last year, the CBI arrested Vivekananda Reddy’s cousin YS Bhaskar Reddy, father of YSRCP MP from Kadapa, Avinash Reddy. The CBI claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to field his mother Vijayamma or sister Sharmila instead.
The father-son duo denied the allegation.
Avinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023. The Congress on Tuesday announced its first list of five candidates for Lok Sabha and 114 candidates for Assembly elections.
Simultaneous polls to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats are scheduled on May 13.