Andhra: YS Vijayalakshmi urges Kadapa voters to support daughter Sharmila in Lok Sabha polls

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 11 (ANI): YS Vijayalakshmi, the mother of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and APCC chief YS Sharmila, has appealed to the people of Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency to cast their votes in favour of her daughter in the upcoming elections.
Vijayalakshmi, widow of former CM of combined Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhar Reddy, resigned from the post of honorary president of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and from the party's primary membership in July 2022.
Her daughter YS Sharmila is contesting from the Kadapa parliamentary seat as a Congress candidate. "She is contesting from Kadapa district as an MP candidate of Congress. I appeal to all the voters of Kadapa to cast their votes for Sharmila," Vijayalakshmi said on Saturday.
"YS Rajasekhara Reddy was a legendary leader, and he stood with the people till his last day. Similarly, Sharmila will stand with the public," she added.
Earlier this week, Andhra Pradesh Congress chief and Kadapa MP candidate YS Sharmila Reddy sent a radio message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to listen to the "Mann Ki Baat" of the people of Andhra Pradesh. "You are not eligible to enter the state until you apologize to the people of Andhra Pradesh," she said.
The Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh braces for a fierce contest as state Congress chief YS Sharmila is set to challenge her cousin and incumbent YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy. Sharmila is Andhra CM Jagan's younger sibling.
After starting her political venture in Telangana politics, Sharmila merged her outfit, YSR Telangana Party, into the Congress and shifted base to Andhra Pradesh, where she was appointed as the state unit chief.
In Andhra Pradesh, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to take place simultaneously on May 13. The counting of the votes for both elections will take place on June 4.
The principal opposition party TDP will take on the ruling YSRCP. TDP has an alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the BJP.
Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha seats.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority of 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to 23 seats.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the YSRCP won 22 seats, while the TDP could only win three seats. (ANI)