Hyderabad: In a much-expected turn of events, YS Sharmila’s YSR Telangana Party has withdrawn from contesting in the state Assembly election fray in favour of Congress. This comes despite the failure of merger talks with the Congress party in the state.
Speaking to the press on Friday, November 3, at her party office, YS Sharmila said that the party withdrew from the poll race to ensure the Congress vote is not split, “as several surveys have been pointing toward the same.”
Taking a dig at KCR, Sharmila said, “In these nine and half years, people have witnessed how Telangana’s wealth has been siphoned off due to the greed and tyranny of one family. A rich state at formation is now burdened with heavy debt, due to the massive corruption of KCR and his cronies.”
“With more and more revelations on their corruption and misrule seeing the light of the day, we see the dire need for all like-minded parties to put up a joint effort in the best interest of the people of Telangana,” added the YSRTP chief.
“As per many surveys and ground reports, it has been felt that our participation in the Assembly elections will directly impact the vote share of Congress in many constituencies. Therefore, YSRTP has decided to make the sacrifice of not contesting in the elections,” reasoned Sharmila.
Party cadre upset
Amid reports of the party pulling out of the elections, the cadre held a sit-in protest at Lotus Pond, the party office in Jubilee Hills, on Thursday, November 2.
Having felt cheated, the leaders sloganeered against the party chief.
After talks of a merger with the Congress failed, Sharmila had been unable to field a single candidate for the party, even as the date of nomination was announced. However, Sharmila is attempting to resurrect ties with the grand old party, after their fallout in 2010, with Jagan’s YSRCP in AP following YSR’s death.
According to media reports the Congress had denied the YSRTP chief and YSR’s daughter space in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh but denied offering her anything in Telangana.
Sharmila’s desire to contest Alair for YSRTP
Sharmila had earlier named herself as the only candidate who would contest the Telangana Assembly polls, adding that her mother and YSR’s wife Vijayamma would too contest if the need arises.
Sharmila had expressed her desire to contest from Alair, where a majority of Andhraitees reside.
Though she invited applications from leaders to contest the elections, the party received little response from candidates, whom the YSTRP could consider qualified to contest the elections.
Sharmila’s party was also allocated a ‘binocular’ symbol by the ECI for the state Assembly elections due on November 30.
