It looks like Y S Sharmila, daughter of former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, is getting more response from a cross section of people than what she might have expected initially.
It is quite common that whenever such high-profile leaders launch political parties, there would be people who lose no time in joining these outfits to test their fortunes. The early birds have the advantages in the party.
It happened to the Telugu Desam Party when it was launched in 1982, Telangana Rashtra Samithi in 2001 and YSR Congress party in 2012. Leaders who joined these parties in the initial stages have grown into big leaders now.
And so, Sharmila, too, has been attracting leaders who hope to make it big in politics in the coming days. These people, naturally expecting some positions in the party, have been showering praises on her to attract her attention.
Take the case of writer and social activist Kancha Ilaiah. One doesn’t know whether he is nurturing any political ambitions, but it appeared so looking at the way he eulogised Sharmila at the Dharna Chowk near Indira Park, where she launched three-day Deeksha on Thursday demanding filling up government jobs by the TRS government.
Ilaiah went to the extent of describing Sharmila as Rudrama Devi, the empress of Kakatiya dynasty.
“After Rudrama Devi, I see such a valour in Sharmila on this Telangana soil. She has every right to launch a political party in this state. She is the true heir of tribal deities Sammakka and Saralamma,” he said.
Ilaiah predicted that the people of Telangana, particularly womenfolk, will definitely make Sharmila as the next chief minister of the state.
He also recalled the glorious era of late YSR and said it was during the YSR regime that 6,000 English medium schools were started for the poor and the downtrodden.
Former TDP MLA and BC Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah, too, extended her support to Sharmila, saying she has all the capabilities of becoming the chief minister of Telangana.
Sharmila lashed out at the KCR government for not filling up job vacancies till now and accused him of being responsible for the suicides of youth due to lack of employment opportunities.
She vowed to continue her deeksha till the government issued the notification.