Rudra Raju Steps Down As Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief, Paving Way For Sharmila’s Appointment

Gidugu Rudra Raju on Monday officially resigned from his position as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), clearing the path for the appointment of Y S Sharmila as the party’s new chief.

Gidugu Rudra Raju says he has resigned as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).

— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2024

In a resignation letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rudra Raju expressed his decision to step down, as reported by news agency IANS. This development aligns with the ongoing speculation that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is considering Sharmila’s appointment as the APCC president, a move expected to precede the simultaneous elections for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha, the report said. 

Rudra Raju, who assumed the role of APCC president in 2022, had graciously welcomed Sharmila into the Congress fold and offered to resign from his position to facilitate her leadership.

Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, recently merged the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) with the Congress on January 4.

Joining the Congress in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Sharmila underscored her father Y S  Rajasekhara Reddy’s dedicated service to the Congress party, stating, “It was my father’s dream to see Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister, and I am happy that I am going to be a part of making that happen”. 

Expressing her readiness for any responsibility entrusted to her, Sharmila stated, “I am ready to take any responsibility given by the party. Not only Andhra Pradesh, I am ready to take the responsibility even if it is Andaman”. 

READ | YS Sharmila Joins Congress: Top 10 Points On Her Political Journey

Having actively campaigned for the YSR Congress Party in the 2019 elections, Sharmila felt marginalised by Jagan after the party secured a resounding victory.

In 2021, she entered politics in Telangana and founded the YSRTP. Although she did not contest the recent Assembly elections in Telangana, Sharmila refrained from dividing anti-KCR votes, aiming to contribute to the Congress victory in the state.