It is more or less confirmed that YSR Telangana Party president Y S Sharmila is all set to merge her party with the Congress. In all probability, it might happen this month end.
The YSRTP chief who was in New Delhi last week held talks with some leaders of the Congress high command, particularly AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and struck a deal on the merger of YSRTP with the Congress.
According to sources, the Congress high command, which was initially insisting that Sharmila should go to Andhra Pradesh and take the reins of the Congress party there, has now agreed to her condition that she should be confined to only Telangana.
The high command also passed a message to Telangana PCC chief A Revanth Reddy that Sharmila would remain in Telangana and contest the elections from this state. The party assured that it would have no impact on the party prospects, as feared by Revanth.
Sharmila is learnt to have explained to Venugopal that she would merge her party in return for tickets for her herself and her supporters to contest from Telangana in the assembly elections slated for year-end.
According to sources, she sought at least eight tickets for her and her supporters in Telangana. And that she would contest the assembly elections from from Palair, a constituency in the Khammam district which is a bastion for the Congress even now.
However, Venugopal told that the Congress might give three tickets to her and her followers. It is learnt she is bargaining for more and if there is a midway solution, the merger will happen soon.
On Tuesday, Sharmila held a meeting with her followers and explained to them the situation. She told them that she would do justice to all her followers and protect their interest.
“Whatever decision I take and whichever platform I work on, I will strive for the ideals of my father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. Like him, I shall do my best to protect the interests of all my followers,” she asserted.
