Attempt to disrupt Sharmila's campaign in Pulivendula

Tension prevailed during Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila Reddy's campaign in her brother and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's home constituency Pulivendula as some supporters of the ruling YSR Congress tried to disrupt her public meeting by raising slogans.

Holding YSR Congress flags, some people raised slogans of 'Jai Jagan'. The workers of the Congress party also raised counter slogans. The incident triggered tension. The police intervened to disperse those trying to disrupt the meeting.

The incident occurred at Lingala on Friday as Sharmila intensified her campaign.

Sharmila is the Congress candidate for Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. Pulivendula is one of the Assembly segments under the Parliamentary constituency.

The Congress leader said YSR Congress people were trying to disrupt her campaign as they feared that Avinash Reddy would lose the election.

She dared those trying to disrupt her meetings to come to Pulivendula town for a meeting to find out who killed her uncle and former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. Accompanied by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Y.S. Sunitha Reddy, Sharmila toured the constituency extensively as part of the campaign.

She once again targeted Jagan, saying he was shielding the killers of their uncle.

The daughter of former chief minister late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) wanted to know why Jagan Mohan Reddy once again fielded Avinash Reddy from Kadapa constituency despite the fact that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named him an accused in Vivekananda Reddy's murder case.

Sharmila also alleged that after becoming the chief minister in 2019, Jagan Mohan Reddy sidelined her.

"I am not bothered about this but why is he backing those who killed our uncle? It is not a family matter. It is an issue related to the murder of the people's leader, Vivekananda Reddy," she said.

Earlier, addressing a meeting at Vempalle, Sharmila said Jagan was misusing power to protect the killers.

"When he failed to ensure justice for his uncle, how can he be expected to deliver justice to people," she asked. Vivekananda Reddy, a former minister and former MP, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

He was alone at his residence.

The sensational case saw many twists and turns.

It was on the petition of Sunitha Reddy that Andhra Pradesh High Court had ordered a CBI probe.

In April last year, the CBI arrested Vivekananda Reddy's cousin YS Bhaskar Reddy, father of YSR Congress MP from Kadapa, Avinash Reddy.

The CBI claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to instead field his mother Vijayamma or sister Sharmila.

However, the father-son duo denied the allegation. Avinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023.

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