Sharmila meets supporters to take a call on merger with Congress

Hyderabad, Jan 2: YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) President Y. S. Sharmila is holding a crucial meeting with the party leaders here on Tuesday to take a decision on merger with the Congress.

Sharmila will seek views of the party leaders on the Congress party’s offer. She will later leave for Idupulapaya in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh to pay tributes to her father and late chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at his grave.

She is likely to visit Delhi in a couple of days to hold talks with the Congress leadership.

Looking to revive its fortunes in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress party is trying to lure Sharmila to its rank. She has been reportedly offered the post of state Congress chief and Rajya Sabha membership.

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 has been holding talks to merge YSRTP with Congress for the last few months. However, this did not materialise before Telangana Assembly elections.

YSRTP did not contest Telangana Assembly elections and extended unconditional support to the Congress party.

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

She said it was not an easy decision as she wanted to contest and become MLA and several leaders of her party were also waiting to contest.

Sharmila, who had campaigned actively for YSRCP in 2019 elections, entered Telangana politics and floated 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.