Sharmila poses a significant threat to Jagan

YS Sharmila, who was appointed as president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, took no time to slam his brother and present Chief Minister of the state immediately after she assumed charge on Sunday. Sharmila’s first speech as PCC president made headlines all over because of the harsh manner in which she lashed out at Jagan Mohan Reddy’s failures on various issues pertaining to the state.

Sharmila’s intentions are very clear from the onset of the speech when she referred him as ‘ Jagan Reddy’, which the YSRCP leaders feel as a misnomer to address the CM disrespectfully. Throughout her speech, Sharmila appeared to have personally targeted Jagan Mohan Reddy as she labelled him as the sole reason for destroying the state in the last five years with his ineffective policies.

Sharmila’s speech made a strong impact because she openly questioned her brother on so many burning issues that have been plaguing the state for the last five years like increasing debts, special category status, non-payment of salaries, rising unemployment rate, lack of big industries, rampant corruption, illegal mining and high rates of crime rates against the oppressed, etc. She also arraigned him for his colossal failure to build a proper capital for the state.

Sharmila openly called Jagan a ‘Fake Christian’ because of his silence on the contentious issue in Manipur where thousands of Christians were subjected to inhumane distress and several churches were destroyed during the ongoing communal riots.

While it is too early to predict the extent to which the Congress party will benefit from Sharmila’s entry, there is no doubt that she will pose a significant threat to Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party in the upcoming elections with her high-decibel speeches laden with valid points. Besides attracting disgruntled YSRCP leaders and former Congress big-wigs, Sharmila can definitely erode into the voting percentage of the YSRCP in the upcoming elections.

As she is Jagan’s sister and the one who led the party in his absence and also as a political novice with nothing to lose, Sharmila will have Carte Blanche to take a swipe at him with no restraint on various aspects.

With the 2024 elections likely to be one of the most closely contested polls in the history of Andhra Pradesh, even a minor shift in voting percentage can lead to the downfall of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government. Sharmila seems to be very much on course to upset his brother.