Hurdles cleared for merger of Sharmila's party with Congress

Hyderabad, Aug 12 (IANS) YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) led by Y.S. Sharmila will soon merge with the Congress party as all hurdles have been cleared, a source told IANS on Friday. 

After a visit to Delhi where she met a key central leader of the Congress party, Sharmila returned to Hyderabad on Friday night. 

While she did not reply to queries by the waiting mediapersons, IANS learnt that all hurdles for YSRTP's merger with the Congress party have been cleared. 

Sharmila, who was camping in Delhi for the last couple of days, held talks with Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal. 

Though there has been a buzz in political circles for the last few months about YSRTP's merger with the Congress, this is the first time that Sharmila has held talks with a central leader of the party. 

Sharmila is daughter of Congress leader and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. 

The Congress party believes that her joining will further boost the morale of the party ahead of Telangana Assembly elections due to be held towards year-end. 

Sharmila, who is sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has already made it clear to the Congress party that she is not interested in Andhra Pradesh politics and that she will confine herself to Telangana. 

She has already announced her decision to contest from Paleru constituency in Khammam district. 

Meanwhile, Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has said that he would welcome Sharmila into the party. The MP reached Hyderabad with Sharmila. He told reporters that he met her on the flight. 

"I have invited the daughter of late YSR to join the Congress party," he said.