'Not Jagan's personal assets': Congress leader YS Sharmila writes emotionally charged letter, talks about 'betrayal'

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

In the letter, Sharmila expressed her profound disappointment with the direction of their family businesses. She emphasized that all the enterprises established by their late father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, were family-owned, not solely controlled by Jagan Mohan Reddy. "These businesses are not Jagan’s personal assets," she clarified, adding that her father’s wish was for the equal distribution of assets among his four grandchildren. Sharmila stressed that she was not seeking Jagan’s personal wealth, but rather her rightful share of the family’s holdings.

“These are family properties, not individual assets. Jagan is merely the 'guardian' of the family businesses, and it is his duty to ensure that the assets are divided equally among the four grandchildren. This was my father’s mandate,” Sharmila wrote. She further stated that YSR had clearly communicated this intention to his wife and children, and that close family associates, 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 their father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy. She recalled standing by Jagan during his political and personal struggles, even neglecting her own children to support him. “I went beyond my limits to help. I even put my children aside to carry Jagan’s party on my shoulders, without any selfishness,” she wrote.

However, Sharmila claimed that after Jagan became Chief Minister in 2019, his attitude towards her changed drastically. She alleged that Jagan suggested they “part ways” on family assets, despite an earlier agreement that allocated her shares in certain properties. According to Sharmila, despite repeated requests, these assets have yet to be transferred to her.

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

The legal battle escalated when Jagan filed a petition in the NCLT, claiming that any allocation of shares to Sharmila had been made "out of love and affection," and was later rescinded due to her emerging as a political rival. Sharmila refuted this, arguing that she had been targeted ever 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 siblings has put the YSR family legacy under public scrutiny. While Sharmila has been vocal about her frustrations, Jagan has attempted to downplay the dispute. In a recent statement, he brushed off the conflict as a typical family matter. "These are ghar ghar ki kahaniyan (common occurrences in every household)," Jagan remarked. "Every family has its own issues, and these are being blown out of proportion."

Jagan also took a swipe at political rivals, particularly Chandrababu Naidu, urging them not to sensationalize what he described as internal family affairs. "Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, I ask you and everyone else: Don’t you have problems within your own family? These are regular family issues, and they’re being exaggerated. Let’s put a stop to this."

As the legal wrangling continues, the public fallout between Sharmila and Jagan casts a shadow over their father’s legacy and the future of the YSR family name.