Sharmila to merge YSRTP with Cong

Guntur: Decks are said to be cleared for the merger of YS Sharmila’s YSRT Party with the Congress. This decision was taken at a meeting Sharmila had with former AICC president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi recently.

Though Congress sources are still tight lipped on whether she would be heading the party or will just be a star campaigner, indications are that there would be change of guard in APCC and Sharmila will be asked to head the party targeting YSRCP in the 2024 elections.

The process of merger and change of APCC president would be made ahead of Sankranti, according to indications from the AICC.

It may be recalled that Sharmila was the star campaigner for Jagan in 2014 and 2019. But following the developments within the family, she had shifted her base to Telangana and formed YSRTP. But following talks with the AICC leaders before Telangana Assembly elections, she had decided not to contest the elections.

The Congress leaders, including Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivkumar, are said to have advised her to take active part in AP Congress and revive it.

It is learnt that the process of merger and taking over the party reins would be done before the three meetings the Congress party would be holding where it would announce 10 guarantees to the people of AP.

Meanwhile, YSRCP sitting MLA Alla Rama Krishna Reddy, who resigned as MLA and from the primary membership of the YSRCP, said that he will join the Congress if Y S Sharmila takes over.

Not just he in fact Sharmila’s entry into the Congress would throw open doors for all disgruntled elements of the YSRCP.

He recalled that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy assured to release Rs 1200 crore funds for the development of Mangalagiri Assembly constituency but he had released only Rs 120 crore. He said he was also promised a berth in the state Cabinet for defeating former minister and TDP candidate Nara Lokesh in Mangalagiri in the 2019 Assembly elections but the CM had failed to keep his promise.

He said in 2019, people defeated the TDP as it had failed to perform well and now he predicted that the YSRCP may face the similar situation in the ensuing Assembly elections.