YS Sharmila says talks with Congress on possible 'merger' in final stages

Hyderabad, Sep 2 (PTI) YSR Telangana Congress Party founder YS Sharmila on Saturday said her discussions with Congress party on working together or a possible "merger" have come to a final stage.

Sharmila had held talks with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, amid speculation about YSRTP’s merger with the grand old party.

"Prolonged discussions were held (between Sharmila and Gandhis). We discussed how to work together and how to defeat the KCR’s (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) corrupt government. These discussions have reached final stages," she told reporters after garlanding the statue of her father and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (undivided) YS Rajasekhar Reddy on his death anniversary today.

She further claimed that Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul were not aware of the inclusion of her father’s name in a “quid-pro-quo” case filed against him and his son, the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, in 2011 over investments and it was not deliberate.

She said they told her that the party is still feeling the void created by Rajasekhar Reddy after his departure.

"They (Congress party) have a lot of respect towards Rajasekhar Reddy,” she said.

The CBI had filed 11 charge sheets against Jagan and others and he has been named as the prime accused.

Earlier, the central agency named Rajasekhar Reddy as first accused in the FIR and later dropped his name as he passed away prior to that.

The premier investigative agency in the charge sheets filed against Jagan had accused him of getting investments running into several crores from various individuals and firms into his businesses as quid pro quo for favours bestowed on them during the tenure of his father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who was Andhra Pradesh (undivided) Chief Minister between 2004 and 2009.

These investments were quid pro quo for government favours such as land allotments, licences, etc, it says. Jagan, thus, amassed huge wealth misusing the office of his late father, CBI alleged.

Several former ministers and bureaucrats are also accused in the case.