On Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s 76th birth anniversary, a deep family rift was exposed as his son YS Jagan and daughter YS Sharmila paid separate tributes at his grave, while rival parties battled to claim his enduring political legacy.
Key Points:
- On the 76th birth anniversary of former CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), his children and political heirs, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YS Sharmila, paid tribute separately.
- The stark family division was on full display at their father’s resting place in Idupulapaya, highlighting a deep political and personal rift.
- Their mother, Y.S. Vijayamma, acted as a poignant bridge, attending the separate ceremonies of both her feuding children.
- Political parties, including YSR’s former party Congress and the YSRCP founded in his name, held widespread events, battling to claim his enduring political legacy.
HYDERABAD – The ghost of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, one of the most formidable figures in modern Andhra Pradesh politics, loomed large across two states on what would have been his 76th birthday. But as leaders from rival parties lined up to garland statues and sing his praises, the most telling and tragic story of the day unfolded not in the halls of power, but at his grave. A family, and a political dynasty, stood publicly divided.
In a somber display of a deep-seated feud, YSR’s own children—his son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, and daughter, YS Sharmila—refused to share the stage even in his memory. They arrived at the family estate in Idupulapaya separately, offering prayers and floral tributes at different times, a silent testament to a political chasm that has fractured the state’s most powerful family. The day became less a celebration of a unified legacy and more a stark exhibition of a bitter battle for his political mantle, being fought by his own flesh and blood.
A House Divided at Idupulapaya
The scene at Idupulapaya in YSR Kadapa district was heavy with symbolism. This is sacred ground for the YSR dynasty, the final resting place of the patriarch. It should have been a site of family unity. Instead, it became the stage for a quiet, painful drama. Jagan Mohan Reddy, leader of the YSRCP, arrived with his contingent to pay his respects. Sometime later, his sister, YS Sharmila, now a prominent figure in the rival Congress party, held her own separate ceremony.
Caught in the middle of this cold war was their mother, Y.S. Vijayamma. In a poignant, heartbreaking sequence, she was the sole bridge between her two warring children. She first stood alongside her son, Jagan, as he paid his respects. Then, she remained to accompany her daughter, Sharmila, for her separate tribute. Her presence at both events underscored the personal tragedy behind the political headlines—a mother navigating the wreckage of a family torn apart by ambition and ideology.
This public separation is the culmination of years of political divergence. After their father’s tragic death, Jagan broke away from the Congress party to form the YSRCP, a party built entirely on his father’s name and populist image. Sharmila, after a period of supporting her brother, eventually returned to the Congress fold, positioning herself as the true inheritor of her father’s original political home. The separate ceremonies were not just a logistical choice; they were a political statement, a declaration that there can be no truce, not even for a day, in the war for their father’s legacy.
The Battle for a Political Mantle
While the family drama provided the day’s most potent imagery, the political struggle for YSR’s legacy raged across both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He was a Congress Chief Minister, and his former party is desperate to reclaim him as one of their own. Senior Congress leaders and ministers held events across Hyderabad, at Panjagutta and the party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan, hailing YSR as a true Congressman whose ideals live on in their policies.
This claim is best exemplified by comments made on the previous anniversary by leader Revanth Reddy, who stated that the Congress party’s popular ‘Six guarantees’ were directly inspired by YSR’s welfare-centric governance. For the Congress, reminding the public of YSR’s roots is a strategic move to counter the YSRCP and win back a voter base that still reveres his memory.
Simultaneously, the YSR Congress Party, whose very existence is predicated on YSR’s name, held its own widespread tributes. In Visakhapatnam, party leaders garlanded his statue on the iconic Beach Road, reinforcing the message that they are the authentic torchbearers of his vision. For the YSRCP, every tribute is an opportunity to solidify the link between the father’s golden era and the son’s political present. They portray Jagan not just as a successor, but as the only one capable of continuing YSR’s pro-poor agenda.
This two-pronged assault on his legacy leaves voters to decide: Does YSR belong to the party he served his entire life, or the party founded in his name to protest that very same institution? The answer to that question holds the key to political power in the Telugu-speaking states.
A Legacy That Refuses to Fade
Years after his death in a helicopter crash, the question remains: why does Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy still command such influence? The answer lies in the deep connection he forged with the masses through transformative welfare schemes. His name is synonymous with populist programs like ‘Arogyasri’ for health insurance and the fee reimbursement scheme for students, policies that touched millions of lives in rural Andhra Pradesh.
He cultivated an image as a ‘man of the people’, a strong, decisive leader who understood the struggles of the common man. This powerful political brand is what his children and the rival parties are now fighting over. In a political landscape often dominated by complex alliances and caste calculations, the name ‘YSR’ remains a simple, powerful brand that still guarantees votes.
The 76th anniversary was a stark reminder that while the man is gone, his political currency is as valuable as ever. But as his heirs squabble over the inheritance, they risk tarnishing the very legacy they seek to control. The sight of a family divided at his grave may resonate more with the public than any political speech, a sad postscript to the life of a leader who, in his prime, was a master of unity.