Y. S. Sharmila Reddy

Yeduguri Sandinti Sharmila Reddy, widely recognized as Y S Sharmila, is the sister of the seventeenth Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and the daughter of the fourteenth Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who held the post from 2004 to 2009.

Born to Yeduguri Sandinti Vijayamma and Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, both esteemed politicians, Sharmila inherited a passion for politics from a young age. Actively involved in political affairs, she made notable contributions to the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and later established her political entity, the YSR Telangana Party, which she subsequently merged with the Indian National Congress (INC) in 2024.

Sharmila gained widespread public attention in 2012 when she embarked on a campaign alongside her mother, Y. S. Vijayamma, for the YSRCP, filling in for her incarcerated brother, Jaganmohan. Her notable endeavour, 'Maro Praja Prasthanam' (journey to the people), involved a 3000 km foot journey across Andhra Pradesh, covering 14 districts and 116 Assembly constituencies, lasting from 18 October 2012 to 4 August 2013.

In 2019, she led an 11-day bus tour named 'Praja Theerpu Bye Bye Babu,' campaigning for YSRCP in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly polls. Sharmila has not shied away from voicing her political differences, notably alleging discrepancies with her brother, Jaganmohan Reddy, and expressing dissatisfaction with the state of the party in Telangana.

On 9 April 2021, she announced the launch of her political party, the YSR Telangana Party, on 8 July 2021, coinciding with her father's birth date. However, in January 2024, Sharmila merged her party with the Indian National Congress during an event attended by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

In the forthcoming 2024 general elections, the Congress nominates her to contest from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, a bastion long associated with her father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

In addition to her political endeavours, Sharmila embarked on a 'Praja Prasthanam' padayatra from the Chevella constituency in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district, aiming to engage with the public, address their concerns, and offer viable solutions.

On a personal note, she is married to M. Anil Kumar and is a proud mother of two children.