With Jagan Mohan Reddy Absent, Is YSR's Tribute Meet Glimpse of a Brewing Political Sibling Rivalry?

Former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s wife Vijayamma has invited associates of her late husband in politics and bureaucrats for what is being officially termed as a prayer meet but political pundits can witness cracks in the family.

Vijayamma personally called up all the invitees, expected to be more than a hundred, for the meeting at Novotel – HICC to mark the twelfth death anniversary of YSR.

It is, however, not confirmed whether Vijayalakshmi’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy — the president of the YSR Congress party and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister — is among the invitees; but he is certainly not attending the meeting.

Sources said that the three met for a prayer meet at Kadapa where YSR was laid to rest.

However, Vijayamma’s daughter YS Sharmila, who launched a regional political outfit in Telangana —YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) — on July 8, is expected to attend the commemoration meeting. In fact, Sharmila’s decision to float a new political party in Telangana has been the cause of the rumblings in the family.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress claim Sharmila is being used by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao to split the anti-incumbency votes ahead of the 2023 assembly elections in the state. Many within the TRS, however, have called her “the B-team of BJP”, specifically roped in to cut into the Reddy community and Christian vote bank. While the TRS is the principal political force in Telangana, the Congress has lost ground and the BJP is looking to find a political foothold in what it perceives as the largely empty opposition space.

Jagan Mohan Reddy has distanced himself from his sister’s political plans, though she doesn’t appear to pose any threat to him right now with her gaze focused on Telangana. However, Sharmila’s move has been backed by her mother, YS Vijayalakshmi, who said she was happy her daughter had chosen to serve the people of Telangana. The daughter had the same guts as her father, Vijayalakshmi added.

Sharmila’s evangelist husband, Bro Anil Kumar, has also come out in her support. “Wishing my wife the very best in this new chapter of life. Go make the change! Fulfill the aspirations of the people of Telangana!!” he tweeted on April 9 along with a photograph of the couple.

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