Amid an ongoing property dispute between YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister, Andhra Pradesh Congress YS Sharmila, their mother YS Vijayamma broke her silence over the issue and wrote an open letter in support of Sharmila, saying that it is her "duty to speak up for the unfairly treated child".
In her letter, Vijayamma, the widow of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, said that her family assets were not divided when her husband was alive. She asserted that all assets belonged to the joint family and that Jagan and Sharmila would settle the dispute.
"Jagan's rise to power owes much to Sharmila's efforts. As a mother, all children are equal. It's painful to see injustice done to one child. As a mother, it's my duty to speak up for the unfairly treated child," Vijayamma wrote.
"My late husband, Rajasekhara Reddy, our children, and I were a happy family. I'm unable to comprehend why our family is facing such difficulties. Despite my efforts to stop it, unfortunate events are unfolding before my eyes," she added.
Dismissing claims that YSR divided his assets among his children while he was still alive, she stated, "YSR transferred certain assets to my younger daughter, Sharmila, and some to my son, Jagan, during his lifetime. This isn’t dividing assets; it’s simply allocating them."
"YSR wanted his children to have equal shares, and that’s the reality. Jagan has worked diligently to expand our assets, but all of them belong to the family," Vijayamma added.
YS Rajasekhara Reddy, a prominent Congress leader and the chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, passed away in a helicopter crash in 2009.
Sharmila also accused Jagan Reddy of not distributing assets equally between the four grandchildren of YS Rajasekhar Reddy. After the tensions escalated, the matter was brought before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), where the Reddys are petitioning for the reinstatement of their original equity shares.
In response to this claim, YSRCP state secretary SV Satish Reddy said, "YS Jagan has shared his assets with his sister Sharmila out of goodwill. She isn't a director in any of Jagan's businesses. Jagan treated Sharmila with kindness, just like any brother would. Late CM Rajasekhara Reddy had already transferred assets to Sharmila and Jagan. Jagan never asked for those assets back. He only sent a notice regarding the exchange of attached properties in ED cases without his knowledge.”
YSR Congress Responds
Reacting to Vijayamma’s letter, the YSR Congress Party released its open letter, saying "Mother has not been neutral". The party said Vijayamma defended Sharmila and the Congress before and after the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.
In the Assembly elections held earlier this year, YSRCP faced a significant defeat, resulting in Jagan Reddy's loss of power to his long-time rival, N Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP.
Amid an ongoing property feud, Jagan Reddy earlier moved the Hyderabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against his mother YS Vijayamma and sister YS Sharmila, urging it to cancel the July 6, 2024, transfer of shares of Saraswati Power and Industries Private Ltd in favour of his mother.
Reddy and his wife have filed a petition challenging the legitimacy of recent share transfers to Sharmila and Vijayamma. The petition alleged that these transfers were executed via a Board resolution in July 2024 without adhering to proper legal procedures.