Those who have been watching Brother Anil Kumar, husband of Y S Sharmila, going to Delhi and holding negotiations with the top Congress leaders for the last few days are given the impression that he, too, is going to join the Congress party along with his wife.
But on Thursday, when Sharmila finally joined the Congress by merging her YSR Telangana Party with the grand old party, Anil sprang a surprise by refusing to wear the party scarf.
All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge first welcomed Sharmila by offering tricolour scarf to her. When he tried to do the same with Anil Kumar, who was standing right behind her, he politely refused.
It was a shock to Kharge. Immediately, Rahul Gandhi, too, made a similar attempt to offer Congress scarf to Anil Kumar, after welcoming Sharmila, he refused to wear it, saying only Sharmila is joining the party and not he.
In fact, Anil Kumar has been accompanying Sharmila wherever she is going for the last few days. He has also been talking about politics, informally though, with reporters at Lotus Pond office.
Even when he came to Vijayawada from Kadapa, Anil Kumar had a lengthy chat with Telugu Desam Party leader B Tech Ravi and explained to him why Sharmila was joining the Congress.
Ravi quoted Anil as saying that Sharmila has no interest in Andhra politics, but she was compelled to take the decision due to certain developments.
Maybe, Anil Kumar wants to play behind the screen role in politics and use his wife’s clout in promoting his missionary activities!