In a politically significant development, YSR Telangana Party chief Y.S. Sharmila on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Rahul Gandhi on being reinstated as Member of Parliament after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction by a lower court.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said “I extend warm congratulations to Sree Rahul Gandhi ji on being reinstated as the Member of Parliament. While your indefatigable fight for the cause of the nation, and your unwavering and determined grit for the people continued to rekindle hopes among millions of people across the nation, justice took its course and delivered a verdict that brought back hopes and happiness to many. I am sure your participation in the Parliamentary process will once again go a long way in voicing the concerns of the people of the nation. In this regard, I appeal to all the leaders to join hands and fight harder to uphold the democracy and secularism in the country.”
Ms. Sharmila appealed to like-minded forces to join hands for the cause. She also extended moral support to the no-confidence motion that came up in Parliament, saying that was a crucial step in the fight to revive and salvage the democratic and the secular fabric of the nation, that was being threatened in the most dangerous way.
There had been rumours for the last two months over Sharmila moving closer to the Congress, particularly after the Karnataka results. She met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shiva Kumar twice in a short span of time and her close aides claimed that she was advised to join the Congress that was once led by her father Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy in the combined State.
However, she neither denied the rumours nor confirmed leaving the space open for further speculation. Though the Telangana Congress is not against her entry into the party it doesn’t want her to play any active role as Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao may yet again rake up the “Andhra Telangana sentiment” during the elections. The Congress leaders argue that their chances were badly damaged in the 2018 Assembly elections. People, who were fresh with the bifurcation sentiments, fell for KCR’s campaign of rejecting Congress saying Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu would damage Telangana’s interests.
