New Delhi: YS Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and a pivotal political force in the southern state is all set to join Congress party on January 4, reports said.
YS Sharmila is also the founder and president of YSR Telangana Party.
Her likely entry in the grand old party comes on back of latter’s spectacular show in Telangana elections, where it swept to power and gave the ruling Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS) dispensation a shock defeat.
Sharmila had called for a meeting of all party leaders today to discuss the contours of seat-sharing with Congress and also to assess the feasibility of merging her party with it.
Why Sharmila wants to join Congress?
Though the YSR Telangana party didn’t reveal the reason behind switching allegiance to Congress, her overtures to the party were apparent even before Telangana Assembly elections.
In the recently concluded Telangana polls on November 30, she withdrew her candidature from a seat to prevent split of votes and in turn benefit the then incumbent KC Rao.
She said that she was extending support to Congress as it was espousing the needs of people, something the KCR govt ignored over the years.
What prompted Congress to woo Sharmila?
Reports suggest that Andhra Congress unit is keen on getting Sharmila onboard before the state heads for Assembly elections.
The local leadership of Congress conveyed the importance of having heavyweight like her in party’s camp to get advantage over rivals. In Dec 27, the APCC conveyed to central leadership that her induction will not only infuse fresh energy in the ranks but will also rejuvenate the party.
According to reports, Rahul Gandhi & Party President Mallikarjun Kharge have also asked the local leadership to open doors for those leaders who left the party and now want to return after realizing their mistake.
