The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and Pulivendula MLA Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Wednesday announced a separate Telangana wing within the party and a working president.

Addressing an extended party meeting at Attapur, Jaganmohan Reddy named party MP from Khammam district, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy the Telangana state working committee president. 

Jagan’s selection is seen as a step to stop the migration of senior partymen of the Khammam branch to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). 

Jagan also tried to silence his critics by roping in sister Sharmila, who kept the flock together while he was incarcerated at the Chanchalguda Jail for 16 months. Without giving her a specific job, Jagan said that she is been given the responsibility of strengthening the party from grassroots in Telangana.

Jagan wants Sharmila to continue the “Odarpu Yatra” in Telangana on his behalf. The Yatra is aimed at consoling the kin of those who died of shock after the tragic demise of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. “I am sending my sister Sharmila to meet the kin of all the families in Telangana. She will meet every affected family,” Jagan said.

“If Sonia Gandhi and Narendra Modi who can’t even speak Telugu can nurture hopes of reviving their parties in Telangana, why not YSRC.”