SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
Ahead of Telangana Assembly elections, two political parties are likely to merge with the Congress. Serious discussions are going on between these two parties and the Congress leadership.
YSR Telangana party headed by YS Sharmila and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) headed by Kodanda Ram are likely to merge with the Congress. According to top sources, Karnataka PCC president DK Shiv Kumar and former Congress MP, who is close to the YSR family, are discussing with Sharmila about the merger of her party YSR Telangana with the Congress.
While Sharmila is preferring an alliance with the Congress, Shiv Kumar and former Congress MP are advising her to merger her party with the Congress. Sources said that Sharmila is demanding 20 MLA tickets to her party leaders and Deputy Chief Minister’s post to her if the Congress comes to power. But Shiv Kumar told Sharmila that there are no wining chances for the YSR Telangana party leaders in 20 seats proposed by her. The Congress leadership offered five MLA tickets including Sharmila if she agrees to merge her party with the Congress, and if Congress comes to power to give her deputy chief minister post to her.
Another offer by the Congress to Sharmila is to give five tickets to her party leaders and to give Rajya Sabha seat to her. According to sources, Sharmila is likely to accept five MLA tickets and deputy chief minister’s post by merging her party with the Congress. A final decision will be taken very soon in this regard.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Congress leaders are discussing with Kodanda Ram about the merger of his party TJS with the Congress. In fact, Kodanda Ram himself announced recently that they are discussing about this issue within the party. Whether to merge TJS with the Congress or to have an aliance with that party is yet to be decided.
In the previous Assembly elections also, the TJS had an alliance with the Congress and failed in wining a single seat. TJS leaders and the Congress leaders are also of the opinion that it will be better to merge the TJS with the Congress. If Congress comes to power Kodanda Ram will be taken into the cabinet.
Former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, former Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao and BRS MLC Damodar Reddy have taken a decision to join the Congress party. If all these things happen, it will be morale booster to the Congress.
