YSR’s daughter Sharmila set to join Congress

Hyderabad : Telangana Party (YSRTP) President Y. S. Sharmila is set to merge her party with the Congress on January 4.

After a crucial meeting with the party leaders here on Tuesday, she told media persons that everything will be clear in one or two days.

However, other YSRTP leaders confirmed that she will join the Congress.

Sharmila will reach New Delhi on Wednesday and will join the Congress party in the presence of top leadership the next day.

YSRTP General Secretary T. Devender Reddy said Sharmila is likely to get a key post in the Congress.

The Congress leadership may give her the task of reviving the party in Andhra Pradesh, where the party was virtually wiped out due to the public anger over bifurcation of the state in 2014. It failed to win a single Assembly or Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and 2019 and its vote share shrunk to less than two per cent.

Upbeat after the victories in Karnataka and recently in Telangana, the Congress is hoping to infuse new life into the party in Andhra Pradesh by invoking the legacy of Sharmila’s father and late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was popularly known as YSR.

Sharmila is sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled in April-May this year along with Lok Sabha polls.

Sharmila, who had campaigned actively for the YSRCP in 2019 elections, entered Telangana politics and floated the YSRTP in 2021 following differences with her brother. She had also undertaken a padyatra in Telangana and vowed to bring ‘Rajanna Rajyam’, a reference to welfare rule of YSR.

However, her efforts to build a political career in Telangana failed to yield desired results. Her talks with the Congress for the merger of her party before the Telangana Assembly elections made no progress due to opposition from a section of party leaders.

The YSRTP did not contest the recent elections in Telangana and extended unconditional support to the Congress.

Sharmila had said the decision was taken to ensure that there is no split of votes against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Her proposed entry into Andhra Pradesh politics has already created a buzz. Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who recently resigned as MLA and also quit the YSRCP, was the first leader from YSRCP to declare her support to Sharmila.

Asked about Ramakrishna Reddy’s announcement, Sharmila thanked him. Some more supporters of Sharmila within the YSRCP and those who are unhappy with Jagan Mohan Reddy are also likely to declare their support to her.