Y.S. Sharmila, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President, is coming under intense criticism from her party members. Senior leaders are speaking out against her style of leadership and are serious about her priorities and focus on strategy.
One main criticism is that Sharmila keeps talking against her brother, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, rather than criticizing the policies of the ruling TDP-Jana Sena-BJP coalition. The coalition of Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan received little opposition as she had more focused intentions and on personal issues for a better family future, supported further by public addresses and posting on social media combined with release to the media hardly complaining against any state administration step.
This approach has left many within the Congress Party frustrated. While the national Congress leadership is focused on taking on the NDA at every level, Sharmila’s focus on internal family disputes is seen as a missed opportunity to rebuild the party’s base in Andhra Pradesh.
Adding to the criticism, senior Congress leader and former MP G.V. Harsha Kumar has openly condemned Sharmila’s leadership. In a recent interview, he accused her of sidelining party priorities to pursue personal grievances. Harsha Kumar pointed out that opposition leaders are expected to hold the ruling government accountable, but Sharmila’s attention has remained fixated on Jagan, who isn’t even a key opposition figure in the state.
Harsha Kumar also questioned the decision to appoint Sharmila, who has openly identified as a Telangana native, as the Congress leader in Andhra Pradesh. According to him, this has failed to resonate with voters, further alienating the party’s already dwindling support base. Highlighting the Congress’s poor performance in recent elections where it garnered minimal votes and Sharmila herself lost her deposit, he criticized her leadership as ineffective and detrimental to the party’s revival efforts.
The growing dissent within the Congress Party underscores a significant challenge for Sharmila as she attempts to steer the APCC forward. For the Congress to regain relevance in Andhra Pradesh, experts believe a clear, united strategy is essential, one focused on addressing governance issues and connecting with the electorate, rather than internal conflicts.