Rahul’s tweet on YSR anniversary hints at Sharmila’s merger with Congress

Hyderabad: Remembering senior Congress leader and former United Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy on his birth anniversary, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted a tweet on Saturday. The tweet fanned the ongoing speculations of YS Sharmila’s entry into Congress.

On Saturday, YS Sharmila along with her family paid tributes to her father at Idupulapaya.

In his tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “My tributes to senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara Reddy ji, on his birth anniversary. He was a visionary leader who devoted his life to the betterment of the people of Andhra Pradesh. He shall always be remembered. (sic)”

The YSR Telangana Party chief retweeted his post thanking Rahul Gandhi. “Thank you @Rahulgandhi ji for your affectionate words, reminiscing late Dr YS Rajashekara Reddy on his birth anniversary. Dr YSR was a committed Congress leader who died in the service of Telugu people, believing in the bright future for this country under your leadership. His model of welfarism remains the preferred model of governance across the country even to date. Thank you Sir that Dr. YSR remains in your heart, (sic)” she tweeted.

Telangana Congress vice-president Mallu Ravi, in a statement, said that YSR was a model chief minister in all walks of life. “All the Congress leaders and cadres must dedicate to his ideology on this day. His last wish was to see Rahul Gandhi as PM of India. His sudden demise in an accident is a great loss to the nation particularly to Telugu states,” he said.

Some of the senior Congress leaders of Andhra Pradesh posted tributes to YS Rajasekhar Reddy.

The tweets by the Congress leaders are hinting towards Sharmila’s entry into Congress, a ‘move’ that was being discussed in the local and national media, continuously for the past month.

Two years after Sharmila launched YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP), YS Sharmila is reportedly in talks with Congress about the merger. She is expected to bring back the YSR charm to Congress, which has been missing since her family left the party in 2011. Sources also said that talks are ongoing between Sharmila and Congress. Earlier too, there were tweets by Sharmila extending greetings to Rahul Gandhi on his birthday.

Ever since her party’s inception in 2021, Sharmila has been targeting KCR and his MLAs, especially during her 3,800-km padayatra, where she connected extensively with people from all walks of life. She criticised MPs and MLAs for their corruption, atrocities, and nepotism. She announced that she would be running from the Palair constituency.