Disquiet in Cong's Andhra unit as Sharmila is cut off from leaders

Even as the Congress is hoping to revive its performance in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh where polling for 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 assembly seats is scheduled on May 13, many leaders are alleging that state unit chief YS Sharmila Reddy is not consulting the candidates with them which has left them in disarray, party sources said.

- ANAND SINGH

A party source said that Sharmila, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy, was inducted into the Congress and was also made the state unit chief.

“However, many of the senior leaders does not have her (Sharmila’s) mobile number and are unable to connect with her to discuss the programmes and candidates,” the source said.

The source also claimed that the Andhra unit chief is taking all decision on selecting the candidates along with her husband, which has left many party leaders worried as tickets are given to outsiders.