Days after YSR Telangana Party chief Y. S. Sharmila, daughter of former Chief Minister late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced her decision not to fight the Assembly elections in Telangana and support the Congress party, key leaders from the district units quit the party en masse on Tuesday.
At a press conference held in Hyderabad on Tuesday, YSRTP leader Gattu Ramachandra Rao tendered unconditional apology to the people of Telangana for hurting them. “We supported Sharmila wholeheartedly in her party activities. Now the time has come to boycott Sharmila in Telangana. She has contempt for the people of Telangana,” he said.
Stating that the YSRTP chief was ‘unfit’ for politics, Mr. Ramachandra Rao said all those who decided to come out of the party would shortly announce their future course of action.
Another YSRTP leader Satyavathi accused Sharmila of deceiving the fans of late YSR in Telangana. “We all sailed with Sharmila as we are die-hard supporters of late YSR. She adopted her own political agenda sacrificing all our hard work. We will defeat her wherever she contests,” she remarked.
Ganesh Naik and B. Sanjeev Rao, both YSRTP leaders accused Sharmila of joining hands with Congress with an ulterior motive. “She has no right to move in Telangana,” they said.
It may be recalled that the YSRTP President had first hinted at contesting all the 119 seats in the elections after she failed to get the clearance for strategic alliance. There was also strong speculation that she would merge the party in the Congress and contest the elections from one of the seat. This too did not materialise as there was stiff opposition from a section of the Congress leaders. Finally, she decided not to contest the elections and instead support the Congress.
