A warm hug from Sonia Gandhi and an invite to join the party and a positive assurance about her political future in Telangana Congress at the meeting with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday has dismantled the existing hurdles and paved way for better future for Y.S. Sharmila, chief of the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP).
The meeting that lasted for over 45 minutes veered around Telangana politics and the political future of Y.S. Sharmila but the Gandhis apparently asked her to wait for some time as the Telangana leadership had to be taken into confidence. They could not give total assurance on the constituency she was seeking.
Sources said Ms. Sharmila along with her husband Anil met Mr. Rahul Gandhi first and later they were joined by Ms. Sonia Gandhi. After enquiring about her well-being and the family Ms. Sonia Gandhi apparently asked if she could hug. Then they both had a warm embrace with Ms. Gandhi patting the back of Ms. Sharmila and appreciating her dynamism in politics like her father late Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy.
Sources said, the meeting was fruitful with the warmth spread all around but politics was a serious affair and some serious discussion had to take place with the Telangana Congress leadership before clearing the route for Ms. Sharmila. If at all the party is merged with the Congress, Ms. Sharmila is expecting nomination from the Palair constituency in the Khammam district which senior leaders Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and the likely entrant Tummala Nageshwar Rao would be eyeing. There is also a talk of Sharmila entering into the fray from Secunderabad constituency.
Rumours about Ms. Sharmila merging her party with the Congress have been doing rounds for the last three months with the Telangana Congress divided over her entry. Though she would be welcomed as Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy’s daughter the party is wary of her ‘Andhra roots’ though she claims herself to be 100% Telanganite being born and brought up here.
After differing with her brother and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, she has concentrated on Telangana politics launching her present party and going on a walkathon of over 3,000 Kms in Telangana targeting Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s rule.
Reiterating her intentions to be part of Telangana politics to the media, Ms. Sharmila told journalists in New Delhi that KCR’s days were numbered.
