‘Not Jagan’s personal assets’: Congress leader YS Sharmila writes emotionally charged letter, talks of ‘betrayal’

In an emotionally charged letter addressed to YSR fans and supporters, Congress leader YS Sharmila on Friday spoke about her deep grievances with her brother Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after a bitter legal dispute over family assets. The dispute, centered on a dispute over shares in Saraswati Power and Industries Private Limited, has pitted the brothers against each other in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Sharmila’s letter was aimed at setting the record straight, revealing the ongoing tension between her and Jagan, as well as her mother, YS Vijayamma, who is also involved in the dispute.

In the letter, Sharmila expressed her deep disappointment with the direction of her family businesses. He highlighted that all the companies established by his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy were family-owned and not controlled solely by Jagan Mohan Reddy. “These businesses are not Jagan’s personal assets,” he clarified, adding that his father’s wish was for equitable distribution of assets among his four grandchildren. Sharmila emphasized that she was not after Jagan’s personal wealth, but his rightful share of the family properties.

“These are family properties, not individual assets. Jagan is nothing more than the “guardian” of the family business and his duty is to ensure that the assets are distributed equally among the four grandchildren. This was my father’s command,” Sharmila wrote. He further stated that YSR had clearly communicated this intention to his wife and children, and that close family members, including KVP Ramachandra Rao, YV Subbareddy and Vijayasai Reddy, were aware of this directive.

Sharmila reflected on the sacrifices she made for her brother after the sudden death of her father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He recalled supporting Jagan during his political and personal struggles, and even neglecting his own children to support him. “I went beyond my limits to help. I even left my children aside to carry Jagan’s party on my shoulders, without any selfishness,” he wrote.

However, Sharmila claimed that after Jagan became Chief Minister in 2019, his attitude towards her changed drastically. He alleged that Jagan suggested they “separate” themselves from the family assets, despite an earlier agreement allocating his shares in certain properties. According to Sharmila, despite repeated requests, these assets have not yet been transferred to her.

Sharmila also accused Jagan and his supporters of unfairly blaming her for their defeat in the recent Assembly elections. He claimed that his brother had offered a settlement on the condition that he stop criticizing him, his wife Bharathi and his cousin, Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy. As president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, Sharmila rejected this condition and stated that it was unrealistic for a political leader to refrain from public criticism.

The legal battle intensified when Jagan filed a petition in the NCLT, alleging that any allotment of shares to Sharmila had been made “out of love and affection”, and was later rescinded as she emerged as a political rival. Sharmila refuted this, arguing that she had been persecuted since she entered politics, insisting that her actions were always in defense of her family’s legacy and YSR’s reputation.

The bitter feud between the brothers has put the YSR family legacy under public scrutiny. While Sharmila has openly expressed her frustrations, Jagan has tried to downplay the dispute. In a recent statement, he dismissed the conflict as a typical family matter. “These are ghar ghar ki kahaniyan (common occurrences in every home),” Jagan said. “Every family has its own problems and these are being exaggerated.”

Jagan also attacked his political rivals, particularly Chandrababu Naidu, urging them not to sensationalize what he described as internal family matters. “Mr Chandrababu Naidu, I ask you and everyone else: Don’t you have problems within your own family? These are regular family problems and they are being exaggerated. Let us put an end to this.”

As the legal dispute continues, the public fallout between Sharmila and Jagan casts a shadow over her father’s legacy and the future of the YSR surname.