YSR Telangana Party drops out of Nov 30 polls, to support Congress

Hyderabad: The YSR Telangana Party will not contest the November 30 assembly polls in the state and will support the opposition Congress, YSRTP president Y S Sharmila said on Friday.

Sharmila, daughter of the late chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, announced supporting Congress to end the "corrupt and anti-people rule" of BRS led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

She said she would not like to stand as a hurdle by splitting the anti-government votes when there is a possibility of a regime change in the state.

Sharmila said she has immense respect for Congress leaders and activists, and that she does not want to split the votes of Congress, which may benefit the ruling BRS.

The YSRTP president, who spoke to reporters here, said it was her late father Rajasekhara Reddy, who brought Congress to power in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

"After so many years, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'padayatra' showed results in Karnataka. At the time when it will show its results in Telangana, we have no intention of hurting the Congress." The Congress leaders are not outsiders to her, she said.

Congress top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi showed immense affection for the daughter of Rajasekhara Reddy, she said.

"We have no intention to hurt Congress party or its leaders," she said.

She said she fears that "history may not forgive her" if she splits the Congress's vote and Chandrasekhar Rao becomes chief minister again.

Sharmila had earlier held discussions with the Congress high command for a merger or a pre-poll alliance, but it did not materialise.