AP CM Jagan's sister hints at floating new political outfit in Telangana

This is just a connection withthem.The meeting will be held with people from every district,she told media before the meeting.Sharmila however did not directly respond when asked ifshe would launch a political party.There is no Rajanna Rajyam Rajasekhar Reddy kind ofregime now.

Y S Sharmila, sister of AndhraPradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Tuesday heldtalks with her late father's sympathisers here, triggeringspeculations of her possible political entry in Telangana.

Sharmila's father and late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, widelyknown as YSR, was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from2004 to 2009. The Congress leader died in a chopper crash inSeptember 2009.

There have been rumours doing rounds on social media forthe past few days that Sharmila plans to start a politicalparty in Telangana state without her brother's intervention.

She is believed to be in touch with some of the prominentCongress leaders, who were closely associated with lateRajasekhara Reddy and also his loyalists, eliciting theirsuggestions and opinion.

''I want to understand the ground realities and to taketheir suggestions and the information they have.. I calledpeople from Nalgonda district. This is just a connection (withthem).

The meeting will be held with people from every district,she told media before the meeting.

Sharmila however did not directly respond when asked ifshe would launch a political party.

''There is no Rajanna Rajyam ( Rajasekhar Reddy kind ofregime) now. Why it should not come,'' she said.

Sharmila and her mother Vijayamma had vigorouslycampaigned for the YSR Congress party during the generalelections in 2019.

However, after Jagan's YSRC clinched a landslide victoryand he took over the reins of AP, Sharmila was not seen muchin public.

A senior legislator of YSR Congress party from AndhraPradesh on condition of anonymity told PTI that she harbourspolitical ambitions, but, it is not clear now as to wherethese developments (meetings and discussions) would finallylead to.

Sharmila met sympathisers of Rajasekhara Reddy from theunited Nalgonda district at the family's residence at LotusPond here.

Though the outcome of the discussions was not officiallyrevealed, several participants said she sought to know aboutthe present political situation in the district.

Several banners with portraits of Sharmila, RajasekharReddy were erected at the residence.

Jagan's image was conspicuously missing in the bannersand flex boards.

A YSR Congress worker from Utnoor in Adilabad said hestrongly wants Sharmila to float a party in order to bring''Rajanna Rajyam'' (Rajasekhar Reddy's regime) in Telanganaalso.

Though YSRC party has its presence in Telangana, it didnot contest in the last general elections.

Sharmila undertook a 'Padayatra' when Jagan wasimprisoned in connection with a quid pro quo case in 2012.