YSR Telangana Party founder Sharmila joins hands with Congress in Delhi leading to merger of two parties

NEW DELHI: YS Sharmila, the founder of YSR Telangana Party, joined hands with Congress in Delhi on Thursday, leading to the merger of the two parties.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were present at the event on Thursday. Sharmila is the daughter of the former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and the younger sister of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Lauding the Congress, Sharmila said it is the largest and "most secular" party in the country as it unwaveringly serves all communities and unites all sections of people.

"I am very happy to be merging the YSR Telangana party with the Congress. It gives me immense joy that the YSR Telangana party is going to be a part of the Indian National Congress from today onwards," she said.

Describing her father and former chief minister YSR Reddy as a legendary leader of the Telugu people, she said he not only served the Congress all his life, but also gave his life serving the Congress.

"Today, it would give him great joy that his daughter is following in his footsteps and is going to be a part of the Congress itself," she said.

"The Congress is still the largest secular party of our country. The Congress has always upheld the true culture of India. The Congress has built our nation's foundations. The Congress has unwaveringly served all communities, uniting all sections of the people of India," Sharmila said in the presence of top party leadership.

"I truly honour the Congress because it is the most secular party, the largest secular party of the country," she said.

She said Rahul Gandhi has won the confidence of the people with his Bharat Jodo Yatra and that also led to the party's victory in Karnataka.

YS Sharmila calls on Sonia Gandhi

After joining Congress, YS Sharmila called on Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi at the latter's residence in the national capital.

Sharmila had announced her support to the Congress during the recent assembly elections held in Telangana, to end the alleged corrupt and anti-people rule of the BRS led by K Chandrasekhar Rao.

After chairing her party meeting on Tuesday in Hyderabad, Sharmila had said she and other leaders would meet the top leadership of the Congress, including Kharge and Rahul, and make a "crucial" announcement in Delhi.