Less than a month after dropping enough hints that she was serious about launching a new political party in Telangana, Y. S. Sharmila, daughter of late Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and sister of AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, is most likely to announce the launch date on April 9 at a public meeting in Khammam. Sources privy to the discussions held between Ms. Sharmila and a few loyalists of late Rajasekhara Reddy on Monday maintained that three dates were deliberated.
The leaders zeroed in on April 9 - the day Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy launched his padayatra in 2003, May 14 - when he first took oath as Chief Minister of united AP in 2004, and July 8 - his birth anniversary. While May 14 was ruled out because of the seering summer, July 8, the leaders felt was too far away and hence it was felt that Ms. Sharmila could formally make an announcement about launch date of her new party on April 9.
“We plan to hold a massive public meeting in Khammam on that date to make the announcement,” sources close to Ms. Sharmila told The Hindu on Monday.
The leaders feel that after announcing the launch date, they could focus on the formalities like how the party flag should be and also the agenda with which the new party would to people.
“Tentatively, we want at least 90 days before the party is officially launched with fanfare in Hyderabad,” a senior leader remarked.
Sources said once the date is officially announced, plans will be afoot to form an adhoc committee with 11 members for each of the 17 parliamentary constituencies.
These committees will make preparatory work for the proposed launch of the party sometime in July, sources said adding that these panels would be entrusted the task of mobilising people for the launch programme.
