YS Sharmila, daughter of late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and sister of current Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy interacted with students and youth as part of her ongoing political consultations. Earlier this month, Sharmila expressed her interest in pitching a political platform in the state of Telangana. Sharmila has been meeting loyalists of her late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy in Telangana. On Wednesday she held a meeting with different university students and unemployed youth at the family’s Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad.
She took their feedback about her plans to enter Telangana politics and enquired about their problems, especially the ones relating to fee reimbursement in higher education and jobs. Some of the students, who interacted with Sharmila, later told the media that they want 'Rajanna Rajyam' in Telangana so that the fee reimbursement scheme is implemented properly and they get the jobs.
తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలోని వివిధ విద్యార్థి సంఘాలు,నిరుద్యోగులతో ఆత్మీయ సమ్మేళనం నిర్వహించి తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలో ప్రస్తుతం నెలకొన్న సమస్యలపై సుదీర్ఘంగా చర్చించిన అనంతరం
— Team YS Sharmila (@TeamYSSR) February 25, 2021
మీరు ఎవ్వరు కూడా నిరుత్సహపడవద్దు నేను మీ అందరి తరుపున నిలబడతాను,పోరాడుతాను అని భరోసా ఇచ్చిన శ్రీమతి వైయస్ షర్మిల pic.twitter.com/IFwM8dAXHv
'Rajanna Rajyam' is a reference to the rule of Rajasekhara Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2009, where he introduced a certain set of welfare schemes for various sections of the society. The youth alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) used the students for its interests but ignored their problems after coming into power. They recalled that students and youth benefited from the schemes launched by YSR during his rule.
The students said Sharmila assured them that she will work to ensure that the schemes launched by YSR to ensure education to every poor student and to provide jobs to unemployed youth are implemented in Telangana. She told the students that as their sister, she will strive to work for their welfare. She recalled that YSR ensured that no student is forced to discontinue education for lack of money to pay the fee.
Sharmila said the fee reimbursement scheme of YSR ensured quality education to several lakh students and many secured good jobs. She said YSR has a special place in the heart of Telugu people. She said it was due to the efforts of YSR that every district got a university. She underlined the need to bring back 'Rajanna Rajyam' to fulfill the aspirations of youth.
YSR's daughter began the process of consultation on February 9 by holding a meeting with YSR loyalists from Nalgonda district. Last week, she met YSR loyalists from Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts to seek opinion on her intention to form a new political party in Telangana.
"There is no Rajanna Rajyam in Telangana. I want to bring it," she had told YSR loyalists.
She plans to hold similar meetings with YSR loyalists from other districts to know ground realities and understand the situation before announcing her next course of action.
A student leader from Osmania University told TNM that several student leaders from different universities of the state were invited for the talks with YS Sharmila. He said, "She is trying to take the opinions of different sections in the state. We, as university students, briefed her about what sort of problems the university education system is facing in the state and how lack of fellowships to students and financial support to the institutions is affecting the education sector in the state."
The YSRCP has distanced itself from Sharmila's move, saying that there was a disagreement between Jagan and Sharmila on the issue of starting a political outfit in Telangana, but quickly added that things remain amicable between the brother and sister.