Pulivendula: Sharmila, Sunitha pay homage to Viveka

Pulivendula & Jammalamadugu (YSR district) : Amidst the hectic election campaigning, APCC president YS Sharmila Reddy and her cousin Y S Sunitha Reddy, daughter of late Vivekananda Reddy, took a pause to pay tribute to Vivekananda Reddy at his grave in Pulivendula on Saturday. The heartfelt homage, characterised by a wreath-laying ceremony and a moment of reflection, served as a poignant reminder of Vivekananda Reddy's untimely and brutal demise in March 2019, weeks before the elections.

The unresolved murder case has emerged as a central theme in the ongoing elections for the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. Sharmila Reddy, now a Congress candidate, openly accuses sitting Kadapa MP and YSRCP candidate YS Avinash Reddy, of complicity in the crime. Further, she directs blame towards her brother and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging his involvement in shielding the accused and subsequently fielding Avinash Reddy as a candidate once more.

Asserting that her candidacy is driven by a commitment to fulfil her late uncle's aspirations, Sharmila Reddy implores voters to reject 'criminal' elements and stand against what she terms 'politics of murder.' These sentiments resonate with Sunitha Reddy's call for justice, who joins her in the pursuit of truth amidst the electoral fray.

Addressing a public meeting in the Jammalamadugu Assembly segment, Sharmila slammed YSRCP for trying to disrupt her campaign. She alleged that fear of defeat has gripped YSRCP and Avinash Reddy. She also claimed that there were reports that Jagan Mohan Reddy may change the candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.

“By changing the candidate, are you admitting what the CBI has said,” she asked her brother. She also asked if YSRCP was contemplating changing the candidate due to fear of defeat. The Congress leader mentioned that the CBI has named Avinash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy as the accused in the murder case.

The CBI had claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to instead field his mother Vijayamma or sister YS Sharmila Reddy. However, the father-son duo denied the allegation.

YS Sharmila Reddy appealed to the people to decide whether they want to elect YSR’s daughter or killer. Sunitha, who is fighting for justice in the case, urged people to support Sharmila Reddy in this fight for truth. She said the voters should stand by those fighting for justice.