Even before Sharmila formally took over as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, there is a buzz in political circles that she is bringing in her cousin, Dr. Narreddy Sunitha Reddy, into the Congress party.
Sunitha Reddy is the daughter of former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, who was brutally murdered at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district, on the night of March 14, 2019, weeks before the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
She has been fighting a prolonged legal battle with the Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government to get justice in her father’s murder case. However, there have been allegations that she was seeking to take political vengeance against Jagan in collusion with the TDP.
Till the other day, there was talk that she might join the TDP and contest the upcoming elections from Kadapa or Pulivendula.
Now, the latest rumor doing the rounds is that she might take a plunge into the Congress party within days of Sharmila taking over as the PCC chief.
In fact, Sharmila, too, had issued statements in the past in support of Sunitha and said justice should be done to her cousin in the murder case. In a way, Sharmila, too, has been pointing an accusing finger at her brother in Viveka’s murder case.
According to sources, Sharmila is expected to visit Idupulapaya on January 21, where she would seek the blessings of her father, late Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy, before taking charge as the PCC chief on the same day.
“Sunitha, too, is expected to join Sharmila at Idupulapaya and be there with the latter while she assumes office in the PCC,” sources said.
It is learned Sharmila might contest from the Kadapa parliamentary constituency, while fielding Sunitha as the MLA candidate from Pulivendula. If it happens, it would be an interesting battle within the YSR family!