Over the past few months, YS Sharmila’s YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) took several turns, U-turns and diversions in Telangana Politics. From her party’s potential merger with the Congress to the surprising announcement of her family members entering the electoral fray, Sharmila’s political journey has been creating curiosity among Telangana people. Her latest decision to opt out of the Telangana assembly elections has raised eyebrows and sparked various reactions among the people of the state.

The Failed Merger Ultimatum to Congress:

Three months ago, Sharmila presented the Congress with a strict deadline of September 30 for the merger of her YSRTP with the grand old party. This ultimatum could not fetch a response from Congress. The Congress chose not to respond, citing opposition from local Congress leaders and Sharmila’s ambitious request for nearly 25 MLA seats for her supporters. This setback was a significant blow to Sharmila, and it mirrored the predictions made by Former MLA Gone Prakash, who had predicted 2 years ago that Sharmila’s party would eventually merge with a national party.

Sharmila’s Statement of Contesting Elections without Alliances and involving Family members:

One month ago, Sharmila made an announcement that sent shockwaves through YSR fans and pro-YSRTP and pro-YSRCP communities. She revealed that her mother, Vijayamma, and her husband, Brother Anil Kumar, would also be entering the electoral arena this time. This decision was met with strong disapproval, as many believed it could tarnish the legacy of the YSR family. The prospect of electoral defeat for Sharmila, her mother, and her husband loomed large, leaving supporters disheartened.

Latest Decision of Opting Out of the Race:

In the latest development, Sharmila surprised many by declaring that she would not be contesting in the upcoming Telangana assembly elections. She stated that her decision was aimed at preventing a split in the pro-Congress vote. According to Sharmila, surveys and ground reports indicated that her party’s participation in the elections could directly impact the Congress’ vote share in various constituencies. Therefore, she made the “sacrifice” of not contesting to support the Congress.

Mixed Reactions and Trolls from Telangana People

The people of Telangana have reacted to Sharmila’s decision with a mixture of skepticism and speculation. Some view her choice to abstain from the race as an attempt to avoid the humiliation of a sure-shot defeat. They argue that Sharmila’s popularity has waned, and the writing was on the wall regarding her chances of success in the elections.

On the other hand, another section of the population speculates that her decision is motivated by a desire to safeguard her interests in Bayyaram mines, a mining area located in Khammam district. They suggest that Sharmila’s entry into politics is primarily linked to protecting her mining assets. It’s worth noting that YSRTP supporters have denounced these rumors, asserting that there is no factual basis for linking Sharmila to Bayyaram mines.

Sharmila who earlier gave scope for trollers and memers by giving some statements that made her a laughing stock, has now again given a chance to them by her decision of opting out of the Election race. This is evident from trolling content that is created on social media after her announcement.

YSR Telangana Party chief Y S Sharmila is understood to have finally accepted the offer from the Congress to merge her party. The top Congress leaders in Telangana are working on the merger of Sharmila’s party ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

Sources say that Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy had reportedly told the party high command to get the party merged and not accept the alliance proposal.

He had sent a report to the high command stating that alliance with Sharmila would be used by KCR to call YSRTP as Andhra party and that would cause greater damage to the Congress in the elections. Last time, the Congress aligned with the TDP and thus lost the battle as KCR widely campaigned against the TDP-Congress alliance.

Sensing this danger, Revanth Reddy had reportedly insisted upon the merger of the YSRTP with the Congress. The Congress high command is dealing with her and has come up with a plan to secure a reasonable position for Sharmila in the party.

The initial talks were held by Congress leader from Karnataka, Shiva Kumar, who later left the issue to the high command. Sharmila is likely to be the general secretary of the party and would be given the MP ticket. She would be touring the districts where late Rajasekhar Reddy’s followers are still in influential positions.

Sharmila too is finding it tough to handle the party as she is not getting any influential leader into her party. There are no prominent leaders available for her in the party since the day she launched the party.

It is said that the merger of YSRTP with the Congress is only a matter of weeks as the formalities have been discussed and finalised. Sharmila too is said to have accepted the proposals and offers from the Congress leadership.

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y. S. Sharmila on Friday denied media reports that she is going to be appointed as the Andhra Pradesh Congress President.

Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, also denied receiving any proposal for the Congress Rajya Sabha ticket from Karnataka.

She made it clear that she is committed to the cause of Telangana and would continue to fight for the people of the region.

“I was always in Telangana and will be in Telangana till my last breath. I request speculators to stop making paper plans about my future and instead write about the issues pertaining to the people of my state Telangana and highlight the misrule and massive corruption of KCR, his family and his party members,” Sharmila tweeted.

“My future lies in Telangana and with its people,” she added.

There have been speculations of Sharmila merging her party with the Congress or aligning with the grand-old-party ahead of the Assembly elections in Telangana scheduled later this year.

Sharmila’s meeting with D. K. Shivakumar after the latter become Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka had triggered massive speculations.

Amid the growing buzz about the likely merger of YSRTP with the Congress, Sharmila on June 19 greeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his birthday.

She wished him success in his tireless endeavours dedicated to the cause of the people of the nation.

Sources had confirmed talks between Sharmila and Congress leaders for the merger deal. Sharmila, daughter of former United Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), is said to be ready to merge the party.

In return, the Congress has offered her and a couple of her close supporters tickets to contest Telangana Assembly polls.

Sharmila has already declared that she will contest from Palair constituency in Khammam district.

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y.S. Sharmila on Monday allegedly slapped a policewoman when cops tried to detain her outside her house in Hyderabad.

Sharmila allegedly slapped a policewoman and pushed a male police officer outside her residence at Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills. Police detained and shifted her to Jubilee Hills police station.

Videos of the YSRTP leader arguing with the police personnel and manhandling them went viral on social media.

Though Sharmila slapping a woman constable was completely not visible in the video, the policewoman is seen holding her cheek.

The incident occurred when police prevented Sharmila from leaving her house to meet the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exam paper leak case. She wanted to know why she was being kept under house arrest and entered into an argument with the police officers. She sat on the road in front of her house as a mark of protest.

When the police personnel tried to detain her, she resisted their attempt. Subsequently, walking along the road, she vented her anger at the police by shouting at them and even manhandling a couple of them.

Sharmila alleged that there is no democracy in Telangana. She asked if she needed court permission even to speak on people’s issues.

Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, said that Telangana Chief Minister KCR was afraid of the daughter of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

The YSRTP leader said if KCR was sincere, he should order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the paper leak.

Sharmila was arrested several times by the police in recent months for staging protests. On one occasion, police towed away her car with Sharmila sitting inside when she was heading to the chief minister’s residence to stage a protest.

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) President Y.S. Sharmila alleged on Thursday that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has crushed the dreams and careers of the unemployed youth in the state.

Sharmila said that the paper leakage episode in the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exam is just a tip of the iceberg.

She alleged that the ‘inefficient and autocratic’ government failed to create a single job during its second term, while a paltry 65,000 jobs is what it claimed to have generated during its first term.

“The Chief Minister had promised to fill 80,000 vacancies through notifications, and this was on March 9 last year on the floor of the Assembly. A year has passed by but the notification is limited to 26,000 jobs. Even their fate hangs in the balance after the paper leakage case. In short, more than 10 lakh aspirants have been backstabbed and now it is simply impossible to fill the vacancies, with the election notification set to come into effect in just six months from now,” said Sharmila.

She called it a blatant case of deception and cruelty when the Biswal Committee had put the number of vacancies to be filled at 1.91 lakh.

“Overall, the Chief Minister has destroyed the hopes and careers of over 50 lakh job aspirants in Telangana. In 2015, he had promised to generate 1 lakh jobs but after four years, the figures stood at just 65,000.

“After the creation of new districts, the workforce requirement was pegged at 3 lakh, but nothing has moved in a positive direction except for the cosmetic treatment where administrative buildings were constructed and inaugurated with huge fanfare.

“One fails to understand why KCR (as the Chief Minister is popularly known) is not as committed towards the unemployed children of many hapless parents, as he is about his child for whom he has moved the entire Cabinet and the official machinery to New Delhi,” Sharmila said, referring to the questioning of KCR’s daughter Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

She demanded the BRS government to wake up at least now and initiate immediate action by issuing notification for filling 1.91 lakh vacancies as per the Biswal Committee’s recommendations.

“Not just that, the recruitment process should also be fast-tracked on priority. We also demand the state government to order a CBI inquiry into the TSPSC paper leak case. No one, including ministers and MLAs, should be spared if found guilty. YSRTP on its part will continue to fight relentlessly on this issue, and also stand by the unemployed youth of Telangana,” she added.

Hyderabad Police on Wednesday detained YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y.S Sharmila when she staged a silent protest against atrocities on women.

Sharmila was leading the protest at the Rani Rudrama Devi statue located on the Tankbund road to commemorate the International Women’s Day.

Talking to media persons, she said that Telangana has turned into a place filled with landmines for women under KCR’s rule. She further said the state now has the dubious record of registering most number of rapes and kidnapping cases against women.

“The state has turned into a fill of land mines for women, planted in the form of crimes and atrocities. One never knows when they explode,” she said.

Sharmila stated that for Chief Minister KCR only his daughter represents women and she has put the women to shame and disgrace by being caught in liquor scam.

Stating that women representation in KCR’s cabinet itself is dismal, she said Kavitha has no moral right to fight in Delhi on women’s representation because her father himself had not kept the word.

The YSRTP leader alleged that the BRS leaders are engaged in crimes against women. She said the constituency being represented by industries minister K. T. Rama Rao witnessed rapes against minors. “Hyderabad sees rapes in broad daylight. Dalit women are assaulted, killed in lockups but KCR won’t say a word. His assurances for women are fake,” she said.

She said even the Governor was not spared and foul language used against her by an MLC made way for his elevation as the government whip in the Legislative Council. “Even I was not spared as a woman and they hurled choicest abuses against me when I exposed their failures,” she said.

Sharmila wanted to know where was the Bharosa app flaunted by KTR? “I checked myself and it’s defunct. The State Women’s Commission is a dummy,” he said.

She called zero interest loans, women business hubs and industrial areas all fake promises. She said that even government schools and colleges have no toilet facilities for girl students.

YS Sharmila, an aspiring political leader in the politics of Telangana, today apologised and regretted for her earlier comments on transgender community. Details as follows.

It is known news that YS Sharmila has been firing salvos at the ruling BRS party for quite sometime. Of course, there have been rumours that her party has secret understanding with BJP to split at least some of the minority votes that are presently with BRS party. Recently she made serious comments on BRS leader Shankar Naik and called him as Kozza, a derogatory word in Telugu to refer transgender. She fumed at Shankar Naik as well as BRS party and called them “Kozzas” for not keeping up various promises the BRS party has made before elections.

However, her comments met stiff resistance from transgender community as she referred someone who don’t work as a Hijra. The transgender community staged dharnas in Warangal and other districts of Telangana and demanded an unconditional apology from Sharmila for making such cheap comments. Today she appealed to the transgender community and said her apologies. She also added that she will address various concerns of the Hijra community is facing once she comes into power.

After a break of two months, YSR Telangana Party president Y.S. Sharmila will resume her Praja Prasthanam Padyatra on January 28.

Announcing that she would resume the padyatra from the place where it was stopped by the state government last month, she vowed to continue her fight against “KCR rule”. She came down heavily on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly called KCR, for what she called failing the state on every parameter and every front.

Sharmila said KCR was shockingly setting for national politics, while failing Telangana’s aspirations and keeping people in deep distress, for the last nine years.

“It has been only the YSRTP that steadfastly and unconditionally took on KCR and his corrupt and tyrannical government. We never bowed down even when they tried hard to corner us, abusing power and authority. With honesty in our intentions and affection for Telangana, and above all, recalling the people-friendly reign of YSR, we travelled across Telangana and covered 3,500 km, only to be troubled and threatened by KCR, who was now scared of our growing prominence and the manner in which we exposed their local MLAs and MPs,” said Sharmila, daughter of former (undivided) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

“We will continue to battle his inefficient rule marked by failed promises, as we did with Kaleshwaram or Palamuru or unemployment or other issues. The countdown for the end of this corrupt regime has begun,” she said.

On the occasion, she mocked the BRS for their “failed” Khammam show and their dramatics to expand across the country, while failing in the state. “My entry to Paleru has rocked his morale and now he realised that the YSRTP is growing in its popularity and presence in the entire district along with contiguous parts of Nalgonda.”

Sharmila also ruled out early elections to the Telangana Assembly, as she claimed KCR was not ready to take on the anti-incumbency and abandon the much-needed stature as a CM to travel across the country.

She also lashed out at state Congress chief Revanth Reddy and state BJP President Bandi Sanjay for their inefficiency to “effectively expose KCR and his corruption”.

BRS workers had allegedly set afire her bus and pelted stones on other vehicles in Warangal district on November 28. Later, police arrested Sharmila as she refused to call off the padyatra in view of the tense situation in the area.

Sharmila was later shifted to Hyderabad. The next day, she was arrested again amid high drama while leading a protest march towards the Chief Minister’s official residence. She was driving a car damaged in the attack and wanted to stage a protest in front of the Chief Minister’s residence. The police, however, stopped her enroute. When she refused to come out of the car, the police towed it away to a police station.

The padyatra, however, could not resume as the police had not given the permission.

The YSRTP approached Telangana High Court, which asked asked Sharmila to abide by the conditions imposed earlier while allowing her to resume the walkathon.

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) president Y. S. Sharmila’s Praja Prasthanam Padyatra has crossed another milestone. The walkathon has crossed 2,500 kms, covering 47 Assembly constituencies and connecting with all sections of the society in Telangana.

For the last 175 days, Sharmila has been on the foot march, interacting with people from various sections of the society to know their problems and targeting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for its failures on various fronts.

The daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is currently in Kamareddy district as part of his ‘Praja Prasthanam Padyatra’. She walks 10-15 kms every day to meet people.

The padayatra is aimed at completing 4,000 kms by the year-end.

Addressing people at Yellareddy, Sharmila vowed to continue her fight and stay connected to the people of Telangana, for whom her party is committed to fight tirelessly.

“It was a marathon exercise and a massive mission that we had embarked on when YSR Telangana Party laid the first step on July 8, 2021, that was the birth anniversary of my father, late Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Today, with the spirit and resolve to change the lives of four crore Telangana people, my Padayatra continues, after having crossed 2,500 kilometers,” he said.

“Since the first step, we have been relentlessly connecting with the people of Telangana, whose lives have been battered severely by the draconian rule of TRS, and the vested political interests of the national parties. There is a massive opposition and dissatisfaction against KCR’s autocratic rule, replete with broken promises, callous governance and astronomical proportions of corruption and nepotism,” she said.

The padayatra began in July last year when Sharmila pledged to walk across the length and breadth of the state and lend a voice to the hapless people of Telangana. Since then, Praja Prasthanam passed through several districts covering 47 Assembly constituencies and 140 ‘mandals’ (blocks).

She connected with every section of the Telangana society, in urban and rural areas, through several programmes that included nirahara deekshas. Mata Muchata, Dharna, and public meetings that drew massive crowds.

“While the ruling TRS has utterly failed the state and pushed it into a debt trap of more than Rs 4 lakhs, the prime opposition parties too have faltered when it came to standing by the side of the people and lending them courage and confidence. YSR Telangana Party is the people’s party and is the only party to fill this gap and fight for the people, besides promising to replicate the glorious rule of late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, featuring welfare, development, and empowerment of all sections of the people,” Sharmila said.

YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) led by Y.S. Sharmila on Thursday celebrated as the Election Commission registered it as a political party.

The party cadres participated in the celebrations held at the party office and residence of tge founder Sharmila in posh Jubilee Hills here.

Amid the playing of loud music and drum beats, several workers were seen dancing. There were also fireworks on the occasion.

Earlier, Sharmila cut a cake to celebrate the occasion along with her mother Y.S. Vijayamma, husband Anil Kumar and some key party leaders.

Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, thanked the Election Commission for recognising the party. She said her party would continue to work in a democratic manner to serve the people.

She tweeted that despite all the odds, the YSRTP will work for the people and will remain amidst people. She vowed the follow the path of her late father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of combined Andhra Pradesh.

The Election Commission has registered YSR Telangana Party as a political party under the Representation of the People Act.

Meanwhile, Sharmila voiced concern over the continuing suicides of farmers in Telangana and slammed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for doing nothing to prevent these. The YSRTP leader alleged that seven farmers have committed suicides in the state during the last two days due to debts.

She said KCR was talking of ‘Bangaru (golden) Bharat’ but has no concern for the farmers of Telangana who are ending their lives due to debt and other problems created by the wrong policies of the state government.

Sharmila was referring to the slogan given by Telangana Rashtra Samthi (TRS) chief, who is leading efforts to form a national front against BJP.

Sharmila floated YSRTP on July 8 last year and announced the party will strive to bring ‘Rajanna Rajyam’ in Telangana.

‘Rajanna Rajyam’ is an euphemism for the rule of Rajasekhara Reddy, who launched several pro-poor and welfare schemes when he was the Chief Minister of combined state between 2004 and 2009.

Sharmila was earlier active in YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) floated in 2011 by her brother Jagan Mohan Reddy after resigning from the Congress party.

She admitted political differences with Jagan Mohan Reddy, who opposed her entry into Telangana politics.

Who is feeling very happy at the rise in Omicron cases in the country? If anyone is the happiest, it should be YSRTP chief YS Sharmila. Her yatra is turning out to be a dud with no response whatsoever from the general public. The media coverage too is dwindling by each passing day. She is finding that the narrative she has taken up is out of sync with the issues on the ground. So, the rise in Omicron cases has turned out to be a great alibi to put her padayatra in the cold storage.

With predictions that the Omicron could reach its peak in February or March, it is unlikely that Sharmila will take up any outreach programmes such as padayatra or rallies. This period will also help her to regroup her cadre and plan something substantial. She is said to be upset with her brother YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who she feels is preventing key people in Telangana from joining her party.

Meanwhile, Omicron scare has also put cold water on the spate of agitational programmes that other Opposition parties had planned in Telangana. The BJP has postponed the second phase of the padayatra due to the Omicron issue. Similarly, the Congress Party’s Rachabanda protest programme too could be deferred.

Even the TRS seems to have been affected by the Omicron spread. The party planned massive agitations on the paddy procurement issues. Similarly, KCR wanted to tour several district headquarters to inaugurate the newly-constructed collectorate complexes in several places. However, the party is waiting for the inauspicious period to end. In all probability, any outreach programme is possible only by February-end or the first week of March.

YS Sharmila is all set to re-launch her Praja Prasthanam from December 17. YSR Telangana Party sources say that the yatra, which was temporarily halted due to the election code in Telangana due to the local body MLA elections, is planning to restart her yatra. The election code would be in force till December 14, the day when the results would be declared.

The yatra was given a temporary recess on November 11 in Kondapakagudem village of Narketpalli mandal of Nalgonda district. The Yatra began on October 20 from

Chevella, went on for 21 days and covered 238 km . It has so far touched 150 villages in six Lok Sabha constituencies. YSRTP sources said that the yatra would re-begin from the ame village.

Analysts say that the YSRTP has found that the response to the yatra was gradually dwindling and crowds had to be mobilised to ensure that yatra had decent gatherings. There were several instances where the crowds agitated over non-payment of their daily wages. This led to ugly situation and the party was waiting for an opportunity to give a temporary halt.

Party’s padayatra coordinator Chandrahasan Reddy said that YS Sharmila would launch a massive people’s movement on the issue of paddy procurement. He said that the party would wage a relentless battle on the issue and would not rest till the last grain of paddy was procured by the government.