Ever since NTR's daughter,Purandeshwari, became Andhra BJP chief, YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy has been at picking on her for many reasons.
Published Nov 07, 2023 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 07, 2023 | 11:29 AM
AP BJP Chief Purandeshwari and NTR Vs YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy & YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
A tussle has been on between BJP’s Daggubati Purandeshwari and YSRCP’s Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy ever since the former took over as the saffron party’s state chief in Andhra Pradesh.
The tussle, however, is not purely political. The Rajya Sabha MP’s attack on Purandeshwari — despite his association with her husband, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, who had contested the Assembly election on a YSRCP ticket in 2019, and his close ties with several central BJP leaders — has raised several eyebrows.
Notably, the YSRCP and the BJP are not engaged in a political duel in Andhra Pradesh: It is just Purandeshwari versus Vijayasai Reddy.
While Purandeshwari is the daughter of TDP founder NT Rama Rao, Vijayasai Reddy is a confidant of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP’s national secretary.
The recent flashpoint was over the BJP chief writing to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on 4 November, asking him to take cognizance of Vijayasai Reddy’s alleged involvement in scams. She also requested the chief justice to cancel the bail granted to the MP.
“He said that if I speak more, he will make sure that he will make some information about me public so that I will never be able to come before the people. He has been out on bail since 2012 and his bail should be cancelled,” Purandeshwari demanded.
She also urged the chief justice to close the pending cases against Vijayasai Reddy in six months.
The MP, arraigned as Accused No 2 in Jagan’s disproportionate case, was granted bail in April 2012.
The trigger for Purendeshwari’s letter was Vijayasai Reddy’s response to her earlier letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in which she alleged the MP had a role in the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam.
Soon after the BJP leader’s letter to the chief justice became public, Vijayasai Reddy threw a challenge at her.
Taking to X — previously Twitter — he asked her if she was willing to face a CBI probe into the sale of Air India when she was an independent director of the national carrier and “received” a donation from Tata Sons.
“Isn’t it true that you and your family members accepted bribes from liquor syndicate brokers? Your husband Venkateswara Rao, your son Hitesh, and Sribharat Mathukumilli (younger brother Balakrishna’s son-in-law) after making allegations of a liquor scam in AP? How are you funding the construction of the most expensive villa in the financial district of Hyderabad? Who is paying for the villa?” he asked.
YSRCP sources told South First that Vijayasai Reddy’s picking on Purendeshwari was for political reasons. He wanted to shed the image of a YSRCP-BJP bonhomie in Andhra Pradesh and saw an opportunity when Purandeshwari took over as the BJP president in the state.
“It’s not personal, it’s political. YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy has been accused by the TDP of compromising with the BJP in light of the pending cases against him. After Purandeshwari assumed charge as the AP BJP chief, he saw an opportunity to shift the focus from him to Purandeshwari and the TDP,” one source said.
“Since she is N Chandrababu Naidu’s sister-in-law, it is easy to argue that she is favouring an alliance with the TDP. Such an argument would help the YSRCP retain the minority votes. Traditionally, in Andhra Pradesh, the minority votes do not go to parties aligned with the BJP,” he added.
Meanwhile, a BJP insider told South First that Purendeshwari has been fighting a lone battle with no support from the party.
“No one else from the party is fighting for her in the state. Her appointment as the state chief came as a surprise to many leaders. There were several other male leaders from the Raju and Kapu communities eyeing the position,’ the BJP leader said.
“You can observe this from the interactions of other key leaders with the media. Previously, the MPs and other BJP leaders used to criticise the YSRCP in the media. Now, they are not reacting to anything. She is the only one responding to any issue,” he pointed out.
“Additionally, she carries the legacy of NTR. The Kamma community factor and family relations with TDP chief Naidu further contribute to the contention. Also, she is reportedly favouring an alliance (with the TDP), whereas other leaders are against it. Throughout the entire process, she travels to Delhi and lodges complaints about the sale of liquor and sand mining, hoping that Reddy will eventually stop at one point,” the source added.
