She said that it was her father's dream to see Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister, and that she would be happy to contribute to it.
Published Jan 04, 2024 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 04, 2024 | 1:00 PM
YS Sharmila joined the Congress in the presence of AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi. (Supplied)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister and founder of the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) YS Sharmila joined the Congress in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday, 4 January.
Sharmila, the daughter of Andhra Pradesh’s former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, also merged the YSRTP with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls expected in April-May.
The Congress in Andhra Pradesh has been looking forward to her joining the party for its revival in the state.
After formally joining the party, she said that it was her father’s dream to see Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister, and that she would be happy to contribute to it.
Lauding the Congress, she termed it the largest secular party in the country, unwaveringly serving all communities, and uniting all sections of people.
She took a dig at the BJP for the attacks on Christians in Manipur. “Being a Christian, it hurts me to see the attacks on the community, with as many as 2,000 churches vandalised and 60,000 people becoming homeless,” Sharmila said.
“This cruelty is something I couldn’t digest even today. I had then thought that it would not have happened if a secular party was in power, and hence I am merging YSRTP with the Congress, as I strongly believe that it is the Congress party that would uphold secularism,” Sharmila said.
Meanwhile, Jagan Mohan met Telangana’s former chief minister and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, who is recuperating from a knee replacement surgery, at his residence in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Sharmila, who had campaigned for Jagan for a decade until his victory in 2019, reportedly had a fallout over political accommodation and the sharing of family assets. She remained inactive for two years before launching the YSRTP in Telangana in 2021. Her mother YS Vijayamma later resigned from the YSRCP and joined her.
Sharmila did not contest the Telangana Assembly elections, stating that she did not want to split votes. She extended her support to the Congress days ahead of the elections. She had been critical of the BRS rule.
She is likely to announce her role in the coming days. In an internal meeting, as reported by South First, she informed her party workers that she has been offered a Rajya Sabha ticket from Karnataka, a position in the AICC. Sharmila also said she was told to campaign for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
It's official. @realyssharmila joins @INCIndia, announces her @YSRTelangana party merger with the grand old party. Addressing the press, she said that she was saddened by the attacks on the #Christian community & spoke on #Manipur violence.#YSSharmila further stated that the… pic.twitter.com/2bPTy0G47Z
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) January 4, 2024
