Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister, Y. S. Sharmila Reddy Set to Join Congress

Y. S. Sharmila Reddy, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, is rumoured to be on the verge of joining the Congress party. Born in 1974, Sharmila Reddy is the founder and president of the YSR Telangana Party. Recent deepfake incidents targeting her and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have surfaced in the lead-up to the imminent general elections.

Addressing the speculations, Andhra Pradesh Congress president Gidugu Rudra Raju extended a warm welcome to the prospect of YS Sharmila joining the Congress. He expressed, “Anyone who wants to respect the ideology of the Congress party and who respects our president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi is most welcome. She may join the Congress party, and on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, we welcome her.”

On November 3, Sharmila Reddy decided against contesting Telangana’s November 30 Assembly polls. Instead, she threw her support behind the Congress Party to prevent a split of votes that might have favoured former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Sharmila Reddy explained her decision and voiced public discontent with KCR’s rule, stating, “People of Telangana are vexed with the misrule of KCR and are all set to topple his draconian regime.” She also highlighted the impact of corruption on the state’s wealth during KCR’s tenure.

In a strategic move, she noted, “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.” Recognizing the sacrifice of not contesting, she stated, “YSR Telangana Party has decided to make the sacrifice of not contesting in the Telangana Assembly elections. I am okay with taking this all-important decision to step back in the state’s larger interest and to ensure the bigger cause of people is addressed.”