Pavan Korada 
Hyderabad: In a rare public appeal, Y.S. Vijayamma, widow of the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has intervened in a family feud dividing her children – former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister Y.S. Sharmila.
Through an emotional letter released on October 29, 2024, Vijayamma implored her son to honour a promise he allegedly made to his late father, urging him to uphold a family agreement on property distribution. Once confined to private discussions, the dispute has now spilled into the public domain, carrying implications for both the YSR family and Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape.
The feud revolves around valuable assets, including shares in Saraswati Power and Industries and 20 acres in Bengaluru’s Yelahanka area. Once unified behind Rajasekhara Reddy’s legacy after his sudden death in 2009, the family now faces fragmentation driven by property disputes and political rivalry. Accusations of betrayal and legal manoeuvring threaten to splinter the family and cast a shadow over one of Andhra Pradesh’s most influential political legacies.
The first years
Following Rajasekhara Reddy’s death, Jagan and Sharmila collaborated closely to strengthen their family’s political position. As Jagan’s closest ally initially, Sharmila played a crucial role in rallying supporters for the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Her tireless campaigning efforts significantly contributed to the party’s triumph in the 2012 by-elections, securing 15 out of 18 contested seats and cementing the family’s political clout. Throughout Jagan’s ascent to the chief minister’s office, Sharmila remained steadfast by his side, enhancing the party’s image and cultivating loyalty among their father’s supporters.
The YSRCP’s overwhelming victory in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, securing 151 of 175 seats, marked the zenith of the siblings’ unity. However, tensions had already begun to simmer as Sharmila’s role in her brother’s administration waned. By 2021, her launch of the YSR Telangana Party raised eyebrows and unsettled Jagan’s supporters, casting doubt on her intentions.
The property
In 2024, after struggling to gain traction in Telangana, Sharmila merged her party with the Congress. Her subsequent appointment as Congress state president for Andhra Pradesh pitted her directly against Jagan in the upcoming general elections – a move that formalised a rift that had been quietly deepening for years.
At the core of the feud is a property dispute that questions Jagan’s loyalty to his father’s legacy. Sharmila contends that their father explicitly instructed an equal division of assets among his four grandchildren. She claims these assets, acquired during her father’s lifetime using family resources, were intended to benefit all descendants equally.
Vijayamma’s recent letter corroborates Sharmila’s assertions, implying that Jagan’s actions violate family principles. She claims her late husband directed that his wealth – including stakes in Saraswati Power, Bharati Cements, Sakshi Media, Classic Realty, and properties in Hyderabad and Bengaluru – be equally shared among his grandchildren. According to Vijayamma, Jagan initially agreed to these terms but has since changed his stance.
The role of ‘love and affection’
Jagan, however, contended that his significant contributions to the assets’ growth entitle him to allocate them as he sees fit. In a petition filed with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Hyderabad on September 10, 2024, Jagan alleged that Sharmila and Vijayamma improperly transferred shares of Saraswati Power. He asserted that a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the assets was signed as a gesture of “love and affection” and was contingent on resolving certain legal and financial issues, including pending Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases. Citing potential “adverse implications,” he seeks to void the MoU, claiming his sister has exploited his initial goodwill and that there is “no love left” between them.
In response, Sharmila maintained that the MoU is legally binding, representing Jagan’s commitment to honour their father’s wishes. She contended that her interest in the family’s assets stems from a desire to uphold her father’s principles, not personal gain. Sharmila claimed that Jagan himself proposed dividing the assets during a 2019 trip to Israel shortly after becoming chief minister – a proposal she and Vijayamma initially resisted.
The politics
The family feud has created an opportunity for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to capitalise on the discord within the YSR family. Within hours of Jagan’s NCLT petition becoming public, the TDP, under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership, shared Sharmila’s September letter on its X (formerly Twitter) account.
The TDP labelled Sharmila’s letter, which accused her brother of breaking a promise to their father, as a “big exposé.” Naidu, a shrewd strategist, is leveraging the family’s turmoil to challenge Jagan’s credibility, implying that the internal strife indicates broader instability within the YSR Congress Party. Sharmila, however, has remained silent on the TDP’s use of her letter.
Political analyst K. Nageshwar, in a conversation with The Wire, highlighted two key points from Vijayamma’s letter. Firstly, he emphasised that property disputes – not political disagreements – sparked the rift between Jagan and Sharmila. “Vijayamma’s letter clearly states that this property dispute emerged shortly after the 2019 elections, subsequently driving a wedge between the siblings,” he noted.
The question of origin
Secondly, Nageshwar highlighted a significant contradiction in Vijayamma’s assertion of family ownership. “The long-standing disproportionate assets case against Jagan alleges he used his father’s political influence to amass wealth. This raises a perplexing question: How did Rajasekhara Reddy accumulate such vast properties for Jagan to inherit and develop, given that he wasn’t known as a businessman during his extensive political career?” he asked.
“Essentially, Vijayamma is suggesting that since Jagan used his father’s legacy to develop these properties and amass wealth, his sister should also have a share in it.”
While Jagan dismissed the issue as a “family affair,” Professor Nageshwar argues that Vijayamma’s letter has elevated it to a political matter. “This isn’t just a family dispute—it involves a political dynasty,” he explained. “If Vijayamma’s claims are true, it raises questions about the assets’ origins. Are they solely from Jagan’s efforts, or are they inherited – a legacy of Rajasekhara Reddy’s influence? This transcends Jagan and Sharmila’s private disagreement; it’s about family honour and YSR’s integrity and legacy, which hold immense significance in Andhra Pradesh. The conflict has now become a matter of public interest.”
This property dispute, rooted in a legacy of wealth and political influence, now carries symbolic weight for YSR’s supporters, who remember him as a populist leader devoted to Andhra Pradesh. As the feud escalates, supporters question whether YSR’s legacy can withstand the family’s internal fractures. Once a unifying force in the state’s politics, the Reddy family has become a focal point for questions about inheritance, loyalty, and leadership responsibilities.
For the YSR Congress Party, the implications are far-reaching. Vijayamma’s support for Sharmila has cast doubt on Jagan’s loyalty to his father’s ideals. Those who revere the YSR family legacy now grapple with reconciling principles of integrity, equality, and shared prosperity against a bitter, public family dispute. The values they cherish clash with political ambition and lingering personal resentments, raising challenging questions about the legacy of one of Andhra Pradesh’s most influential political dynasties.