Sharmila counters Sajjala, says Congress will contest 175 Assembly, 25 MP seats in Andhra Pradesh

VIJAYAWADA: APCC chief YS Sharmila has said that no one is behind her in joining the Congress and said that she helped dethrone K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana by merging her party with the Congress.

Addressing media at the APCC office here after taking charge she countered the allegations made by advisor public affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy that she was playing a role in the plan hatched by TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

“I am not anyone else's arrow. It is not right to talk cheaply because I am a woman. The daughter of Dr YSR played a crucial role in dethroning a monarch in Telangana. If Andhra Pradesh is my birthplace, then Telangana is my inlaws place,” she explained the reasons for her shifting base to Andhra Pradesh.

She said that she was concerned about the people of Andhra Pradesh and only the future would tell who would be affected by her joining the Congress. “It is a fact that only leaders of regional parties transform into dictators,” she pointed out.

Coming to the ensuing elections she said that the Congress would contest from all the 25 MP seats in the State and then all the 175 Assembly seats.

“I will start visiting three districts per day for nine days from January 23. There will be admissions into the party fold during my tour. We will receive applications from candidates from January 24,” the APCC chief said.

She assured that the Congress would accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh after Rahul Gandhi became Prime Minister of the country. She said that the BJP deceived the State by not helping the State complete Polavaram, taking up of construction of Amaravati, and stalling the privitisation of the Vizag Steel plant.