'These are all political opportunism, party won't get benefitted': Renuka Chowdhury on Cong merger with Sharmila's YSRTP

New Delhi, June 23: Amid reports of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's estranged sister Y.S. Sharmila planning to merge the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) with the Congress, senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury has said that it is political opportunism that Sharmila has resorted to establish her relevance politically and also warned that the merger between Congress and YSRTP will have a negative impact on the former.

Speaking to IANS, Chowdhury, a former Union Minister, said, "Let us see, these are all political opportunities and opportunism that they take to establish their own credential."

She added: "This is like when you go on diplomatic thing, you present your diplomatic credential to be accepted."

"So Congress is mother Ganges where everyone come to take bathe. So let us see what what comes out of it."

"After speaking negatively about our president, about leaders suddenly there is this dawning of wisdom that they want to come. And they spread stories like this and nothing else," Chowdhury said.

When asked if the Congress will benefit from the merger, she added, "They will benefit from Congress. Anyone who comes to the Congress gets benefitted. It is like Ganges, people come and take bathe and their sins are washed. But Ganges doesn't get affected, that is Congress."

Her remarks came in the wake of media reports that Sharmila is likely to merge her party, which she founded two years ago while she was part of the Congress.

In Andhra Pradesh, Congress is on a sticky wicket after the YSRCP inducted majority of Congress leaders and it could look to rebuild the organisation with a part of YSR's legacy, that comes with Sharmila.

Elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled in less than a year.