The decision has upset the TDP, a key BJP ally, at a time when Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape is a mix of rivalry, suspicion, and intrigue. The BJP’s ambiguous engagement with both the YSRCP and TDP has long been a source of tension.
Published Oct 07, 2025 | 5:29 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 07, 2025 | 5:29 PM
Rajampet MP Mithun Reddy
Synopsis: YSRCP MP PV Mithun Reddy’s inclusion in India’s parliamentary delegation to the 80th United Nations General Assembly has brought to fore the uneasy alliance dynamics within the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Andhra Pradesh. The Rajampet MP’s presence in one of the two teams is seen by the TDP as an affront and a signal of the BJP’s ambiguous engagement with both state parties. Meanwhile, the YSRCP has welcomed the selection as recognition of its continued relevance.
The inclusion of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MP PV Mithun Reddy in one of India’s two parliamentary delegations to the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has sparked a political storm in Andhra Pradesh.
The Rajampet MP is no stranger to controversy. A prominent YSRCP figure and fierce critic of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), his nomination comes just months after his arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the ₹3,200 crore liquor scam allegedly linked to the previous YSRCP regime.
Though out on bail, Reddy remains entangled in the investigation – a fact that has deepened the TDP’s dismay at his selection for such a high-profile international platform.
The two UNGA delegations, with MPs from across party lines, will represent India in New York during high-level sessions on peace, climate, and sustainable development.
The first of the two teams, which includes TDP MP from Visakhapatnam M Sribharat, is being led by BJP MP from Rajasthan PP Chaudhary. BJP MP from Rajahmundry D Purandeswari will lead the second 16-member team that includes Mithun Reddy.
For the TDP, the move is more than an affront – it sends a signal. Party leaders see it as an indication that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) doors to the YSRCP are not fully closed, despite the formal alliance with the TDP.
Mithun Reddy’s inclusion exposes the uneasy equations within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and raises questions about the BJP’s quiet strategic recalibrations.
The decision has upset the TDP, a key BJP ally, at a time when Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape is a mix of rivalry, suspicion, and intrigue.
The BJP’s ambiguous engagement with both the YSRCP and TDP has long been a source of tension. Even during the YSRCP’s rule, former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy maintained cordial relations with the BJP, offering crucial parliamentary support when needed.
The TDP, often at odds with the YSRCP, has viewed this rapport critically, seeing it as evidence that the BJP keeps a second line open in Andhra Pradesh politics.
The 2024 general elections added to the challenge. Persuaded by Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, the BJP joined hands with the TDP in a revived NDA coalition that swept Andhra Pradesh – an outcome crucial for the BJP to form the government at the Centre.
Yet, Mithun Reddy’s inclusion in the UNGA delegation now feels like a deliberate slight to many in the TDP.
The question troubling TDP circles is “How can the BJP justify sending a man out on bail in a ₹3,200 crore scam to represent India at the UN?” For Naidu’s camp, the insult is deeper as the TDP is simultaneously pursuing legal efforts to have Reddy’s bail revoked.
TDP leaders argue that the party’s decisive role in bringing the NDA to power warranted greater representation and respect. For them, placing the YSRCP, which was soundly defeated in 2024, on the same pedestal as the victorious TDP is galling.
The YSRCP, however, has seized the development as proof of its continued relevance. Party leaders, echoing YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s stance, insist that the liquor scam allegations are politically motivated – part of a vendetta by the Naidu government.
“This is a recognition of Mithun Reddy’s seniority and parliamentary stature,” said one YSRCP leader. He accused the TDP of “trying to rewrite the narrative of Andhra politics through persecution.”
The move may also reflect a subtle recalibration – an attempt to hedge political bets and maintain flexibility in a region where loyalties can shift overnight.
In Andhra Pradesh, optics often speak louder than intent. To TDP loyalists, the episode is another reminder of the BJP’s historical ambivalence toward the YSRCP and a warning that alliance politics is as much about managing perception as wielding power.
For Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who painstakingly rebuilt bridges with the BJP after years of estrangement, the episode underscores the fragility of the partnership. In a state where political wounds run deep, even a symbolic gesture like a UN delegation seat can trigger a sense of insecurity.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
