YS Sharmila meets Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge amid buzz over Rajya Sabha nomination

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila on Friday met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here, amid speculation that she may be fielded in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

After the meeting with Rahul, Sharmila told reporters that it was a “regular meeting on Andhra Pradesh political affairs,” even as she did not deny that she is keen on a seat in the Upper House.

Asked about a possible Rajya Sabha nomination, she said, “I am very sure that Rahul Gandhi knows the best.” The Sharmila camp is confident that the High Command will choose her to fight from Karnataka where the Congress can win three of the four seats up for grabs.

There was no official word about what transpired in the meeting. Sources said she has been lobbying for the seat for sometime and while she joined the party in January 2024, she was promised a Rajya Sabha seat, though Congress is not in a position to win any seat from Andhra Pradesh.

In Karnataka, Congress can win three seats owing to its numerical superiority in the Assembly. One of the seats is all set to go to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, whose term is ends next month.

Aspirants in the Congress could raise their objections if any of the three winnable seats in Karnataka is given to a leader from outside the state. In the previous Rajya Sabha elections in 2024, Congress had given one of the seats to Ajay Maken, who hails from Delhi.

There have been demands that leaders from OBCs, minorities and Lingayat community should be considered from Karnataka.