Ready to work with Congress, says Sharmila

NEW DELHI: YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) President YS Sharmila on Tuesday announced that she has decided to work with the Congress.

She told media persons at Idupulapaya in YSR Kadapa district that valuing the YSRTP’s sacrifice in Telangana, the Congress has invited her to join it.

"I have no objection in working with the Congress. As Congress is the largest secular party in the country and it is working to provide security to everyone, I have decided to strengthen the party,” she said.

Sharmila said she would be leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday.

"You will get answers to all your queries in a day or two," she said while declining to answer any queries.

She claimed that Congress came to power in Telangana because of her party’s support.

"YSRTP played a key role in defeating anti-people government of KCR. In 31 constituencies, the Congress won only by a majority of 10,000 votes. This was because we did not contest the elections.

"Had the YSRTP contested, the Congress would have been in big trouble. This sense of gratitude is also there in the Congress," she added.

Accompanied by son Y.S. Raja Reddy and soon-to-be daughter-in-law Atluri Priya, Sharmila visited the samadhi of her father and former (undivided) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at Idupulapaya.

She had revealed on Monday that Raja Reddy’s engagement with Atluri Priya will take place on January 18 while their wedding is set for February 17.

Sharmila presented the first invitation card at YSR’s samadhi to take his blessings.

Earlier, she held a meeting with YSRTP leaders in Hyderabad to discuss the proposal for merger with the Congress. Sharmila will reach New Delhi on Wednesday and will join the Congress party in the presence of top leaders the next day.

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

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. The Congress 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 inject a new lease of life into the party in Andhra Pradesh by invoking the legacy of Sharmila’s father, 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 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.