The recent move of the Andhra Pradesh government to rename locations that were linked with the previous Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has been controversial, with YS Sharmila criticizing it openly. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has kept quiet on the subject, but Sharmila has blamed the ruling alliance for singling out YSR due to frustration with Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sharmila accused the government of taking political revenge by removing YSR’s name, just as the earlier YSRCP government had changed names associated with Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR), disturbing his followers.
On Monday, the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet made the decision to rename YSR District as YSR Kadapa District and drop YSR from YSR Tatigadapa Municipality in Krishna district. While Sharmila said she had no issue with including Kadapa in YSR District, she asked why the same method was not adopted for NTR. She proposed alternatives such as NTR Vijayawada or Old NTR Krishna District rather than removing his name altogether.
Strongly condemning the move to exclude YSR from Tatigadapa, Sharmila stressed the enduring popularity of the late leader through his welfare programs. She pointed out that YSR is still deeply revered, with many families putting his photo side by side with their family gods, and asked political leaders to desist from using his image for political advantage.
With the controversy mounting, the YSRCP remains tight-lipped so far on the cabinet’s decision. Will the party react, or will the controversy keep raging among YSR’s fans?