HYDERABAD: YS Sharmila, president of the YSR Telangana Party, is all set to merge her outfit with the Congress before the month-end, most likely on August 18, according to well-placed sources. Sharmila, who visited Delhi accompanied by her husband Anil Kumar, is said to have held a key meeting with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. The discussions centred around the party’s merger and the conditions set forth by Sharmila for this to happen.
When asked to confirm the reports regarding the merger upon her return to Hyderabad on Friday evening, the YSRTP president chose to just smile and keep up the suspense. Notably, she thanked Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy for inviting her to the party.
However, sources close to the matter said that the AICC expressed satisfaction with Sharmila’s stipulations. Her conditions reportedly include a commitment to contest solely from Telangana, a preference to refrain from Rajya Sabha aspirations, and her willingness to campaign for Congress in Andhra Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Venugopal, acting on behalf of the Congress high command, is said to have informed Sharmila to prepare for the next crucial step, a final meeting with prominent Congress leaders including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. This meeting is expected to take place in the coming week when the merger is expected to be finalised and announced.
Sources in the AICC said that Sharmila initially expressed her desire to contest from the Palair constituency. However, during informal discussions, Venugopal purportedly suggested that she consider contesting from the Secunderabad Assembly constituency as this would boost the morale of the party cadre in the Greater Hyderabad limits, where the Congress is weak. Sharmila has reportedly agreed to think about this and provide her response in the next meeting.