Let's fight KCR together on unemployment issue, YSRTP's Sharmila reaches out to Telangana BJP, Cong leaders

'If we fail at this moment to come together, then KCR will finish the Opposition parties in spirit,' Sharmila told Revanth and Sanjay over the phone

In an interesting development in Telangana's election year, YSR Telangana Party chief Y S Sharmila urged the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Revanth Reddy and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay “on the need to join forces in the fight against the K Chandrasekhar Rao government over youth unemployment issues in the state”.

YSRTP sources said that both Reddy and Bandi have responded positively to Sharmila's proposal.

However, while confirming that Sharmila telephoned him, Bandi said that he made it clear to Sharmila that BJP would not work together with Congress “as both BRS and Congress are one and the same”.

Read | YS Sharmila detained during protest at TSPSC office in Hyderabad

Sharmila spoke with both leaders over the phone on Saturday, a day after she was detained by the police when she attempted to barge into the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) office, alleging “callousness, delay in conducting a fair investigation into the state public service exams paper leaks.” Sharmila accused BRS of “malafide intentions to protect the big fish involved in the scam”.

The leaking of question papers of government job recruitment exams has rocked the BRS government with Reddy and Bandi even alleging the involvement of Minister of IT, Industries K T Rama Rao in the scam.

“It is high time that Opposition parties come together, have a joint action plan to fight against the BRS government that is playing with the lives of unemployed, educated youth. Let us together march towards Pragati Bhavan and bring KCR to task. If we fail at this moment to come together, then KCR will finish the Opposition parties in spirit,” Sharmila told Reddy and Bandi.

Read | Telangana is 'Afghanistan of India and KCR its Taliban': Sharmila on being detained amid padayatra

A statement from YSRTP later said that Bandi extended support and assured to meet her very soon. “Reddy, too, felt the need for Opposition parties joining hands to fight for unemployed youth. He assured to discuss the proposition with his party and come up with a decision very soon.”

Describing KCR's rule as “draconian” Sharmila stated that his government has “been deceiving the jobless youth and driving them to suicides and depression".

The TSPSC had cancelled the Group-I recruitment and two other services exams following reports of exam papers leak. Student bodies, job aspirants, and Opposition parties have been in agitation mode ever since, holding protests, rallies, etc.

Sharmila, the younger sister of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, had launched the YSR Telangana Party in July 2021 and has been on a "Praja Prasthanam padayatra" across the state, attacking the ruling party over various issues.