Andhra CM Jagan's sister YS Sharmila takes U turn, offers unconditional support to Congress in Telangana polls

Sharmila said she has immense respect for Congress leaders and activists, and that she does not want to split the votes of Congress, which may benefit the ruling BRS.

In a U turn, YSRTP chief YS Sharmila on Friday announced her party's unconditional support to Congress in the upcoming polls to Telangana assembly slated on November 30. Few days ago after a snub from Congress, Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced her party would go it alone in the polls.

“In scripting the imminent defeat of BRS, it is felt that Congress party stands a chance, and any division of anti-incumbency votes at this stage will be a hurdle in dethroning KCR. As per many surveys and ground reports, it is established that our participation in the Assembly elections will directly impact the vote share of Congress in many constituencies,” Sharmila said in a letter to Congress leader and Waynad MP, Rahul Gandhi.

She further said “Therefore, the YSR Telangana Party has decided to withdraw and not contest in the Telangana Assembly elections. I have taken this important decision in the larger interest of the state and to ensure the bigger cause of people. The YSR Telangana Party extends unconditional support to the Congress party and we urge all the YSR Telangana Party leaders, cadres, and all YS fans to join forces and strengthen the Congress party at this crucial juncture for a better Telangana. I pray and wish that the Congress party does well in the upcoming elections.”

Earlier, she had approached Congress with a proposal to merge her party. However, it is learnt that talks between both the parties had reached nowhere and as the poll schedule had been announced by ECI, Sharmila had decided to go it alone and conveyed the same to her partymen in a meeting last month.

It was speculated that she herself would contest from the Palair segment in Khammam district. She had also told the party leaders that there has been a suggestion that she contest from another seat also which she would take a call soon. There were also suggestions that her mother YS Vijayalakshmi and her evangelist husband Brother Anil Kumar also contest the polls.

Sharmila, had launched YSRTP on July 8, 2021 coinciding the birth anniversary of her chief minister father YS Rajasekhar Reddy. With the slogan of bringing 'Rajanna Rajyam' of the welfare state she had also taken out a pada yatra in Telangana and was arrested multiple times by the Telangana police. However, she could not evoke proper response from the public.

She had also met Congress top brass Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, first in many years after her brother walked out of the grand old party in 2011, to further take forward the proposal to merge YSRTP.