Sharmila’s Congress dreams hang in balance

AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakare on Wednesday told media persons at New Delhi that there was no information on the YSRTP merger

Hyderabad: YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) founder YS Sharmila’s grand plan to merge her party with the Congress seems to be hanging in balance.

Going by statements from Congress leaders, the party high command appears to have different plans. AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakare on Wednesday told media persons at New Delhi that there was no information on the YSRTP merger.

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This is not an isolated incident. State Congress leaders too expressed reservations over the YSRTP merger citing different reasons, especially Sharmila’s Andhra roots with the same being informed to the party high command. Sharmila had met Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at New Delhi on August 31. After the meeting, she had said that the merger was in the final stage.

She also is learnt to have met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiva Kumar at a hotel in the city last Friday to discuss a few aspects. Apart from Shiva Kumar, former MP KVP Ramachandra Rao is also believed to be supporting the merger.

However, many State Congress leaders are not keen about the YSRTP’s merger. On September 3, after a party meeting at Gandhi Bhavan, former MP Renuka Chowdhry slammed Sharmila over her remarks that the merger had reached final stage and reminded that there was no formal announcement from the high command.

Chowdhury said all statements had come from Sharmila and not from the high command. She had only met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and they did not take any decision on the matter. Mere statements from Sharmila do not suffice, our party high command should make announcement, the former MP had said.

TPCC president A Revanth Reddy also reportedly feigned ignorance on YSRTP’s merger. “I don’t know. The Gandhis meet many leaders. Since the merger is connected with Telangana Congress, they will definitely inform me but there is no message so far,” Revanth Reddy had said.

Another senior Congress leader said the high command was informed that merging YSRTP could be counterproductive to the party’s prospects in the next elections. This could give the ruling BRS party an edge and trigger the Telangana sentiment as Sharmila hails from Andhra Pradesh. If the merger was inevitable, Sharmila’s role should be limited to Andhra Pradesh Congress affairs, he added.

“A specific appeal was also made to the high command that Sharmila should not campaign in Telangana during the ensuing elections. If required, she could campaign in erstwhile Khammam but definitely not in other districts,” the senior leader said.