Hyderabad: The internal rift within the YS family continues to escalate as YS Vijayamma, mother of YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, publicly expressed support for her daughter, YS Sharmila, in an ongoing inheritance dispute. In an emotional open letter, Vijayamma described her decision to defend Sharmila as a “mother’s duty” toward a child facing injustice.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) responded sharply, accusing Vijayamma of being “biased” and favoring Sharmila, a leader in the Congress Party, both before and after the Andhra Pradesh state elections. In the recent polls, YSRCP suffered a defeat, losing power to the TDP led by N Chandrababu Naidu. Party representatives also criticized Sharmila for aligning with a party responsible for Jagan’s past imprisonment.
Vijayamma’s letter emphasized that Sharmila was excluded from family businesses but played a key role in Jagan’s political rise. She lamented the growing divide, stating it was painful to witness the fallout within the family that once enjoyed unity under her late husband, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
“My children will answer for themselves, but as a mother, it’s agonizing to see one child treated unfairly,” Vijayamma wrote. She appealed to those spreading rumors about her family to stop, warning that the turmoil harms both her children and the state.
The dispute centers on the division of assets, with Jagan and Sharmila signing a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to divide family properties. Vijayamma claimed Jagan gave Sharmila ₹200 crores from his share and promised to hand over additional properties as outlined in the MoU. However, she said Sharmila was denied her fair share, including stakes in Bharati Cements, Sakshi Media, and YSR’s house, pending resolution of legal cases.
In a rebuttal, YSRCP officials clarified that Jagan had never demanded any return of transferred assets. They stated that notices sent regarding ED-attached properties were procedural and denied any attempt to withhold Sharmila’s share.
The public fallout took a legal turn when Jagan petitioned the National Company Law Tribunal to block what he called the “illegal” transfer of shares by Sharmila. He claimed these shares, originally gifted to their mother, had been wrongfully appropriated by Sharmila, posing legal complications.
Sharmila countered by dismissing Jagan’s objection to the MoU, insisting it has binding legal authority. She accused her brother of violating their father’s wishes and betraying the family by filing cases against their mother and sister.
The inheritance dispute comes as Sharmila’s political alignment with Congress pits her directly against her brother. Having campaigned for Jagan until 2019, Sharmila launched the YSR Telangana Party in 2021, later merging it with Congress, which appointed her as the Andhra Pradesh unit’s chief.
The next chapter of the legal battle is set to unfold on November 8 when the company law tribunal hears the case involving Saraswati Power shares. Meanwhile, Vijayamma expressed hope that her children would reconcile, stating, “This is a family matter, and I believe they will resolve it themselves.”