Despite all the hype and hoopla, the YSRTelangana Party, founded by YSR’s daughter YS Sharmila is not making much headway in Telangana. The party is finding the going quite tough. No leader of any worth has joined the party as of now. Despite the big bang inauguration of the party, it has failed to attract big names.
Sources say that the party’s functionaries are making phone calls to various politicians in the state. They were offered plum posts in the party organization. But, the YSRTP functionaries are being asked as to whose B team they are. They are being asked if they are the B team of the BJP, TRS or the Congress Party. If this is known, then we can think of joining, is the constant refrain of those answering the calls.
Telangana has a different political backdrop and the politics here are identity politics. That being the case, the YSRTP does not have an identity of its own. Not one of those who joined Sharmila has a background that has something to go home and tell. Not even a councilor or even a ward member level politician has joined the party. Some diehard YSR fans and some YSR family backers have joined the party. Beyond that, most of the party office bearers are largely unknown commodities. No former MLA has even bothered to cast his glance so far.
Sources say that it is important that Sharmila clarifies that her party is not the satellite or the B team of any political party. She has to clarify what her genuine political objectives are . Unless there is a clarity about this, the political class in Telangana will not even take the YSRTP into consideration. Similarly, with Revanth Reddy and Kishan Reddy emerging as the rising stars, the Reddy community might not consider Sharmila and her party as a viable alternative for their community.
Another major problem is to fight the perception that late YSR was against the formation of Telangana. He is perceived as someone who blocked the formation of Telangana. “Had YSR been alive, there would be no Telanagana,” is the general feeling. Hence Sharmila has a long battle ahead. It remains to be seen as to how she would be able to lure big names into her party.
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