The much-anticipated merger talks between YSRTP president YS Sharmila and the Congress party appear to be nearing a conclusion. Sharmila’s recent meeting with senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as per reports, has proven to be very fruitful, and the merger of YSRTP into the grand old party is now considered a mere formality.
Sharmila’s family had distanced itself from the Congress when her brother, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, founded the YSR Congress. After the demise of YSR, his family members, including Sharmila, openly voiced suspicions of a conspiracy in YSR’s death. However, recent developments suggest a shift in her stance as she moves closer to the Congress and the Gandhi family. Sources indicate that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, a close friend of the late Dr. Rajasekhar Reddy, successfully persuaded Sharmila to consider merging her party with the Congress.
Initially, Sharmila insisted on a significant role within the Telangana State Congress and an MLA ticket from the Palair constituency in Khammam district. However, her entry into the party faces strong opposition from Telangana Congress leaders, who fear it could damage the party’s prospects due to her Andhra Pradesh origins. Nevertheless, Sharmila has already started exonerating the Gandhi family regarding her father’s inclusion in a CBI chargesheet. She boldly went to the extent of saying that this happened without the knowledge of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. She also added that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi still hold her late father YSR in very high regard.
According to the latest reports, the Congress High Command has offered Sharmila a Rajya Sabha ticket from Karnataka, where the party holds power. Additionally, she has been proposed as the star campaigner for all South Indian states, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Despite the reluctance to grant her a prominent role in Telangana, the Congress has extended the offer of becoming the Andhra Pradesh PCC chief. However, it appears that Sharmila still desires a position to influence the party’s affairs in Telangana state.
The evolving political landscape suggests that Sharmila’s entry into Congress is a delicate matter, with many variables at play. As the discussions progress, it remains to be seen how this merger will impact the political dynamics in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Currently, sources indicate that Sharmila has accepted the offer of a Rajya Sabha seat from Karnataka.
