YS Vijayamma, the mother of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YS Sharmila, recently wrote an open letter in support of Sharmila. The letter comes amid a contentious inheritance dispute. Vijayamma asserts it is her “duty to speak up for the unfairly treated child.”
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) quickly countered with a statement. They claimed that “mother has not been neutral.” The party accused Vijayamma of backing Sharmila and the Congress party before and after the recent Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. These elections resulted in a significant defeat for Jagan Reddy, who lost to N Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP.
In her letter, Vijayamma emphasized Sharmila’s dedication to politics. She pointed out that Sharmila was not involved in the family business but worked tirelessly on Jagan’s behalf. “Jagan’s rise to power owes much to Sharmila’s efforts,” she stated. As a mother, Vijayamma believes all children deserve equal treatment. She finds it “painful to see injustice done to one child.”
Vijayamma expressed her deep pain over her family’s struggles. She reminisced about happier times with her late husband, Rajasekhara Reddy, and their children. “I’m unable to comprehend why our family is facing such difficulties,” she wrote. Despite her attempts to resolve the issues, she feels helpless as events continue to unfold.
Vijayamma criticized the baseless claims about her family. She called for an end to the spread of falsehoods, saying, “It’s not good for my children, nor for the state.” Although she hesitated to speak out, she felt the situation required her voice. “I implore those who have spoken wrongly about our family to cease,” she urged.
She reminded readers that “blood is thicker than water.” Vijayamma trusts her children to handle their own issues. She believes in divine intervention to resolve their problems.
Vijayamma disputed claims that YSR divided his assets among his children while he was alive. She explained, “YSR had transferred some assets to my younger daughter, Sharmila’s name, and some to my son, Jagan’s name.” She insisted this was not dividing assets but simply allocating them.
She affirmed that her late husband, YSR Rajasekhara Reddy, wanted his children to have equal shares. “Jagan worked hard to grow our assets, but all assets belong to the family,” she maintained.
Vijayamma noted that after YSR’s death in 2009, Jagan and Sharmila lived together until 2019. During that time, Jagan provided Sharmila with 200 crores as part of their agreement. She detailed that they agreed Jagan would receive 60% of the assets, while Sharmila would receive 40%.
Vijayamma explained that after becoming Chief Minister in 2019, Jagan proposed to divide the family’s assets. He expressed concerns about potential disagreements among their children.
She recounted how, in her presence, they decided to separate the assets into “this is Jagan’s and this is Sharmila’s.” The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) created in 2019 reflects this agreement. Vijayamma asserted that Sharmila’s rights were acknowledged, which is why she received 200 crores as dividends.
Vijayamma clarified that properties allocated to Sharmila were not gifts but responsibilities that Jagan assumed. She mentioned that he promised to give her 100% of the shares in Saraswathi and certain other properties.
She stated that Sharmila was also treated unfairly concerning unattached properties like Bharati Cements and Sakshi Media. Vijayamma felt compelled to speak out to correct the misinformation surrounding the family. “The truth is this… Still, they are siblings. This is their issue; they will resolve it,” she wrote.
Vijayamma expressed that if Rajasekhara Reddy were alive, the current inheritance disputes wouldn’t exist. She wished her children would avoid irresponsible statements. She believes her words can help end the ongoing chaos.
In response to Vijayamma’s statements, the YSRCP noted that Jagan Reddy never demanded the return of any assets. They emphasized that Jagan shared his assets with Sharmila out of goodwill. According to the party, Sharmila is not involved in Jagan’s businesses, and he has treated her kindly, like any brother would.
The dispute between the siblings has led to a series of harsh letters. Each accuses the other of deceitful actions that tarnish their father’s memory. Earlier, Jagan alerted the National Company Law Tribunal about the “illegal” transfer of shares in Saraswati Power, claiming his sister acted deceitfully.
In her response, Sharmila highlighted their father’s explicit instruction for equal division of properties among his grandchildren. She dismissed Jagan Reddy’s intention to nullify the MoU, asserting that it holds no legal validity. She criticized her brother for taking legal actions against their mother and herself, which she believes contradict their father’s wishes.
Regarding the disputed Saraswati Power shares, Sharmila asserted that the intention was to transfer them upon signing the MoU, but Jagan failed to follow through. The National Company Law Tribunal will hear these matters on November 8.
This inheritance dispute has emerged after the siblings parted ways politically. Until the 2019 Assembly elections, Sharmila campaigned for Jagan. However, she later formed her own party, YSR Telangana, which merged with the Congress before the recent general election. The Congress appointed her as the Andhra Pradesh chief, positioning her as a challenger to her brother.
