YS Sharmila greets Rahul Gandhi amid rumours of YSRTP merger with Congress

HYDERABAD: Has YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) chief YS Sharmila buried the bitter relationship between her family and the Congress? There seems to be some development on that front as Sharmila greeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on his birthday on Monday.

"Wishing Shri Rahul Gandhiji a very happy and wonderful birthday. May you continue to inspire the people with your perseverance and patience, and serve them through your sincere efforts. Wishing you great health, happiness, and success in abundance," tweeted Sharmila.

The greetings have come amidst rumours that Sharmila was planning to merge her YSRTP with the Grand-Old Party before the Telangana Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.

Sources within the YSRTP shared that the Congress had reportedly offered Sharmila, and a few of her close supporters, tickets in the impending Assembly elections. Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy, has already declared that she would contest from Palair constituency in Khammam district.

Sharmila's multiple meetings with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar since the Congress party's rise to power in the neighbouring state was the first hint of a possible merger or alliance.

During these encounters, Sharmila praised Shivakumar for his instrumental role in the Congress' victory in Karnataka. The significance of these meetings lies in Shivakumar's potential to revitalise the Congress in Telangana by either forming alliances with smaller parties or encouraging their merger into the Congress or bringing back defected leaders.

Shivakumar shares a close association with Sharmila's father and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh late YS Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR). Given Sharmila's reliance on the legacy of YSR, Telangana's Congress members perceive a common ground in collaborating with her. Sharmila has openly expressed her party's willingness to engage in discussions with any party to defeat the KCR-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the upcoming elections.

She floated the YSRTP in 2021 promising to bring back 'Rajanna Rajyam' in Telangana. 'Rajanna Rajyam' is a reference to the rule of YSR during which several revolutionary welfare measures for farmers and the poor were implemented.

More clarity is expected to emerge on the rumours of the YSRTP’s merger with the Congress in Telangana in the next few days.