YS Sharmila ‘locks’ rooms of PCC office bearers after complaint against her

High drama has prevailed at the Pradesh Congress Office in Vijaywada after the party’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, with state unit chief YS Sharmila being accused of dissolving all committees and even locking rooms of two working presidents after they complained against her to the party high command.

According to reports, working presidents of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Sunkara Padmasree and P Rakesh Reddy, in letters to the central leadership had accused Sharmila of being responsible for the party’s dismal performance in the recently-held polls. The leaders also alleged that Sharmila’s team had allocated tickets on a quid pro quo basis. They had also demanded formation of a fact finding committee to probe the reasons behind the party’s poll performance.

According to reports, an enraged Sharmila retaliated to the complaints against her by dissolving all the committees in the state unit and locking the rooms of Padmasree and Reddy at the Congress office in Vijayawada.

“In the history of the AICC, neither the party nor its leadership has ever witnessed a PCC president who locks the office doors of the working presidents and dissolves all committees with immediate effect in response to calls for a fact-finding committee regarding the recently concluded assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. This behaviour exemplifies not only PCC president Sharmila’s disdain towards the organisational structure but also disregards the incessant hard work of the cadre,” Deccan Herald quoted Padmasree as saying.

Poll loss

In the run up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state, the Congress had appointed Sharmila, the daughter of the late YS Rajasekar Reddy, as its Andhra Pradesh chief, hoping her to improve the party’s prospects in the Telugu state.

However, Sharmila lost the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat to her cousin and present YSR Congress MP Avinash Reddy.

Avinash clinched victory with a commanding margin of over 62,000 votes, beating his nearest rival CB Subbarami Reddy of TDP in Kadapa Parliamentary constituency.

Sharmila, despite a spirited campaign, found herself relegated to the third position in the electoral race, marking a profound disappointment in her political aspirations.

The Congress’ vote share saw a meagre rise by just 0.55 points to 1.72 per cent compared to 1.17 per cent in the 2019 polls.