People joining me for Jagan's sake: Sharmila

YSR Congress President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister and daughter of the late YSR, Sharmila made it clear that she is undertaking the Padayatra on his behalf as a temporary substitute for him and would hand over the reins of Maro Praja Prasthanam to Jagan when he comes out of jail.

In an interview to the NDTV, Sharmila said she is not cut out to be a full time politician like her brother who had proved himself as a leader through his Odarpu Yatra. She said she is drawing bigger crowds not because of her but because of the memories left by her father and also because of her brother Jagan who proved himself as a leader after the death of YSR.

“My brother proved he is cut out to be the leader and you can see everywhere around here people chanting the name of Jagan. All these people are coming because of him and just because people are coming in large numbers I am not tempted to become a full time politician,” she told Maya Sharma of the NTDV.

Jagan’s arrest and jailing has no negative impact on the party as people never believed her brother was wrong. People are sure that there is no evidence against Jagan and he would come out soon out of jail to lead the party. Saying that she cannot carry the entire YSRCP on her shoulders, she said there are many leaders and brains and politics can’t be her full time profession.

She said she was wearing the black badge just to express her protest against the injustice done to Jaganmohan Reddy.

Speaking about the motivation that made her decide in favor of the historic 3000-km Maro Praja Prasthanam, Sharmila said her Padayatra is necessary and essential. She said her father YSR took out the Padayatra in 2003 to know the problems of farmers in the wake of 4000 farmers committing suicides and the Naiud’s regime failing to come to their rescue.

Sharmila also cited the case of a farmer who owned 2 acres and invested Rs.50,000 but lost the entire crop and has been on the brink financially.

The then TDP government never tried to help the farmers and my father went on the Padayatra to meet them, she said, adding the present Congress Government is also repeating the same mistakes of the TDP regime in 2003 and hence her Padayatra.

She said she is very much convinced about the conspiracy of the TDP and the Congress against Jagan.

She denied the charges made out by CBI against Jagan and said her brother has no links whatsoever with Gali Janardhan Reddy and his business.

(Updated on Oct 22, 2012)