It is often observed by political pundits in their analyses that Andhra Pradesh would not have faced bifurcation to form separate Telangana state at least so quickly had Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had inducted K Chandrasekhar Rao, aka KCR, into his cabinet during his regime in 1999.
It was only because Naidu dumped him in the cabinet formation did KCR revolt against him and launched the movement for separate Telangana state in 2001. He floated the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and rest is history.
Telangana was formed as a separate state in 2014 and KCR went on to become the chief minister of the state for 10 years.
The TRS, later transformed into Bharat Rashtra Samiti has changed the political landscape of the Telugu states.
Though not to be compared with KCR, there is no doubt that the political ambitions of Y S Sharmila, daughter of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, which led to the present differences between her and her brother – YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Just like Naidu dumped KCR after utilising his services for the party, Jagan, too, sought to suppress the political ambitions of Sharmila, though she had campaigned extensively for him and his party in 2013-14 and again in 2019.
Though the present dispute between Jagan and Sharmila appear to be related sharing of properties and company shares, the actual reason is Jagan ignoring her political ambitions.
Having worked hard for the party, Sharmila expected that she would be given a key position in the party and at least Rajya Sabha seat, if not an MLA seat and a cabinet berth. But Jagan did not entertain anybody else to be active in the party, as he did not want an alternative power centre within the party.
He even forced his mother Vijayamma to quit the honorary president post in the YSRCP, after he became the chief minister. He thought he would silence Sharmila, too, by giving her money and transferring big number of shares from his company to her subsequently.
But Sharmila had other plans. Dejected by her brother’s resistance to her political entry, she first floated her own party in Telangana but after realising that she had no space there, she joined hands with the Congress and became its president in AP.
She started attacking Jagan and his government, besides making wild allegations against him with regard to murder of Vivekananda Reddy. That ultimately led to open confrontation between the two.
“Had Jagan given her a post in the party or made her a Rajya Sabha member, Sharmila would not have revolted against him; just like KCR, who would not have floated the TRS had he been inducted into the cabinet by Naidu in 1999,” an analyst said.
Jagan’s fear of Sharmila emerging an alternative power centre also seems to be unfounded, as she would have been loyal to him had she been given some post or position. She would have been pillar of strength for him, unlike the other leaders in his coterie, who ruined the party.
“When Naidu can encourage his son or brother-in-law; and KCR, his son, daughter and nephews, why can’t Jagan encourage Sharmila in politics? As long as he has complete control over the party, there is no threat to him from Sharmila,” the analyst reasoned.
