YSR's recorded voice stars in Sharmila's Kadapa campaign
Kadapa parliamentary constituency, Congress leader Y S Sharmila Reddy is leaving no stone unturned to woo voters by invoking the political legacy and popularity of her late father, the iconic Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh. Sharmila, who merged her party into the Congress ahead of elections, is taking on her cousin Avinash Reddy, the YSR Congress candidate accused in the murder case of their uncle and the party's senior leader, Y S Vivekananda Reddy.
Lok Sabha Voting Phase 3: All the latest news
As Sharmila campaigns in the bylanes and streets of Proddatur, one of the seven assembly segments under the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, crowds swell to cheer the state Congress president when they hear the recorded voice of her father, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in September 2009.
«Namaste amma (mother), akka (sister), and paapa (child). Namaste, namaste to all,» the former CM's voice greets the crowds, especially in the Muslim-dominated Jinha Road area. After the recorded voice stops, the party's election song «O Sharmila, O Sharmila» plays like a Tollywood hit, sending the gathering into a frenzy.
Standing atop an open vehicle adorned with party posters, Sharmila addresses the gatherings, repeating the lyrics of her election song, suggesting she was introduced to politics like a sword forged in fire. «I am the daughter of Dr Rajasekhara Reddy. Vote for me, make me victorious,» she urges as the crowd in Darga Bazaar cheers.
Lok Sabha
Read more on economictimes.indiatimes.com
