Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Reddy's sister YS Sharmila joins Congress, merges her party

YS Sharmila, founding president of YSR Telangana Party and sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, joined the Congress on Thursday.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders from Andhra Pradesh were present at the party headquarters in Delhi when the YSRTP chief joined the Congress.

According to sources, the Congress leadership is going to give an important role to Sharmila before the Lok Sabha elections as well as the assembly elections to be held in Andhra Pradesh. It is believed that this move of Congress is aimed at reviving the party in Andhra Pradesh. The party hopes that those willing to leave the YSRCP may join the Congress now at a time when the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is struggling to maintain its influence.

Sharmila first came into limelight in 2012 when Telangana was not separated from Andhra Pradesh. In the backdrop of the statehood movement gaining momentum, his brother Jagan Mohan Reddy broke away from the Congress and formed the YSCRP. Along with him, 18 MLAs also separated from Congress and joined the new party. At that time a Congress MP had also resigned.

This paved the way for many by-elections. Jagan Reddy was in jail after being arrested on corruption charges and his mother YS Vijayamma and sister YS Sharmila led the campaign in his presence. YSCRP won the elections.

Nine years later in 2021 itself, Sharmila said that she had political differences with her brother. He also stressed that YSRCP has no presence in Telangana. In July last year, he announced the formation of the YSR Telangana Party and launched a campaign against the previous K. Chandrasekhar Rao-led government.