Modi comments on Jagan, Sharmila take new political row

It’s alert to NDA parties on anti-incumbency vote split

Patibandla Srinivas

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Amaravati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YS Sharmila assumed political significance.

Modi in his Prajagalam meeting speech said that Jagan and Sharmila are the same, they belong to the Congress party and their agenda is one.

The people of the state eagerly waited for Modi’s announcement regarding Amaravati and other pending issues. Though he explained the Centre’s allotments like housing, ration, and educational institutions for the state but public anticipated some special announcements.  Interestingly, Narendra Modi made political comments on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister YS Sharmila. Modi said that both are the same and the Congress party is behind their politics.

The comments raised the eyebrows of political parties. Everyone knows that for the past some time, YS Sharmila has been opposing YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and criticising his government openly. She was appointed in a new role as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress committee.      

She targeted the state government. She also makes corruption allegations directly against her brother. She started conducting public meetings and making efforts to field the candidates for all the Lok Sabha and Assembly segments. She directly appeals to the public not to extend support to the YSR Congress party. She makes allegations frequently questioning YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on his role in the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy.

Against this backdrop, the discussion began in the political circles about which party would lose and which party would benefit from the Congress party, especially Sharmila’s new role.   

In the beginning, all believed that Sharmila’s entry would impact the YSR Congress party. The YSR Congress has a strong vote bank in scheduled castes and Reddys. The political pundits initially believed that Sharmila’s new role would damage the prospects of the YSR Congress.It is possible when Sharmila works for the Congress party opposing her brother Jagan. So far, the people of the state have been believing in her role. However, there are some differences of opinion in political circles about vote splitting. But now Modi’s comments as both Jagan and Sharmila are the same created new doubts and also alerted the NDA partners TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena. So far, these parties never criticized YS Sharmila even though she targeted the parties that were in alliance with BJP. It is learnt that the TDP has also focussed on this but the party leadership feels that the YSR Congress would lose majority compared with the TDP. However, the Prime Minister’s comments alerted the NDA parties about the anti-incumbency split, say the political circles.