With property division going haywire and turning political, Jagan Mohan Reddy hopes Congress will reign in Sharmila in lieu of a political understanding.
Published Oct 31, 2024 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 31, 2024 | 12:00 PM
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. YS Sharmila
YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy is yet to recover from the shock that Andhra Pradesh elections dealt him earlier this year. Even as the situation is challenging on the political front, it seems things aren’t great even on the personal front for the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister. So much so that YSRCP is now hoping for external help.
YS Jagan is at loggerheads with his sister and Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila over a property dispute, even approaching National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). He has accused his mother Vijayamma and sister of alleged illegal transfer of shares. It took barely days for the family feud to turn into a political slugfest.
Even as news of Jagan approaching NCLT against Sharmila became public, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sprung into action to turn it into ammo. The public debate on the siblings going to war with each other led Sharmila to write an open letter. YSRCP leaders didn’t respond kindly to the same. On Tuesday, it was the turn of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s wife and siblings’ mother, YS Vijayamma, to break her silence and back Sharmila’s claim to her share of the property.
As things continue to go out of hand, sources told South First that YSRCP, through emissaries, has sent feelers to Congress’ Delhi leadership. Jagan Mohan Reddy is, sources said, hoping that Congress will intervene and reign in Sharmila.
The grand old party, however, says that it has neither been approached by YSRCP nor will it interfere in what it sees as a ‘personal dispute’.
With TDP in toe with Jana Sena (JSP) firmly in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), YSRCP seems to believe it can back the Congress politically. For decades now, Jagan Mohan Reddy has nursed a grudge against the Congress and backed BJP on every count. Feeling deserted by BJP and devastated by electorate of Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP seemingly wants to bury the hatchet with Congress, albeit with Sharmila’s silence as the price.
A senior office bearer with AICC told South First that other than the issue being personal, the party is convinced that YSRCP will always pick BJP before Congress. Even as the source denied overtures by YSRCP to intervene, he maintained that Jagan Mohan Reddy wouldn’t like to run BJP the wrong way by warming up to Congress.
The party is of the firm belief that Jagan needs BJP now more than ever. With no power in hand, Jagan is at the mercy of BJP and the saffron party has more to gain in keeping him close. “Jagan and his party’s survival is key to BJP’s grand plans of keeping TDP in check. They will ensure he and his party thrive,” a Congress leader opined, clarifying that the party gains nothing by helping Jagan.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
