Even as the Congress has launched protests across the country demanding the resignation and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid the controversy surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the party’s Andhra Pradesh unit, led by Y S Sharmila, has largely remained inactive.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had directed state units and District Congress Committees to organise demonstrations at State Election Commission offices and district headquarters.
Although some Congress leaders staged a protest at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Friday, demanding action against Gyanesh Kumar and calling for an independent inquiry into alleged electoral irregularities, Sharmila stayed away from the protest, reportedly because she was occupied with her daughter’s engagement.
With the state party president herself absent from the programme, other leaders also appeared to show little enthusiasm, barring the token protest held in Vijayawada.
It is a different matter that the Congress has only a limited presence in Andhra Pradesh. However, the party’s central leadership has been hoping that the state unit would at least make its presence felt on such occasions and maintain visibility among the public.
“If Sharmila has no interest in party programmes, it is better that she steps down and makes way for others,” an analyst said.
