In a blow to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, senior party MP V Vijayasai Reddy on Friday announced his retirement from politics and said he would resign from the Rajya Sabha on Saturday. “I am retiring from politics,” Reddy announced in a post on X. “I will resign from Rajya Sabha membership tomorrow, 25 Jan, 2025. I am not joining any political party. My resignation is not to attain any post/position, benefit, or monetary gain. This decision is entirely personal. There is no pressure, or coercion or undue influence on me. I will forever be indebted to the YS family, who has supported me for four decades and across three generations. I will always be grateful to YS Jagan Garu for giving me the opportunity to serve as a Rajya Sabha member twice, and in particular to Bharatamma Garu, who helped me reach new heights in political arena. I pray to God to bless Jagan Garu with good health, immense success, everlasting happiness and a bright future. As the leader of the parliamentary party, floor leader in Rajya Sabha, and national general secretary of the YSRCP, I have worked tirelessly, with sincerity and without any compromise, for the benefit of the party and the state. I have served as a bridge between the Centre and the state to maintain the cordial relationship and get maximum benefits for the state.” I am retiring from politics. I will resign from Rajya Sabha membership tomorrow, 25 Jan, 2025. I am not joining any political party. My resignation is not to attain any post/position, benefit, or monetary gain. This decision is entirely personal. There is no pressure, or… — Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) January 24, 2025 Thanking party workers, colleagues, and those who had supported him in his political journey, Vijay said, “My heartfelt gratitude and sincere thanks to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and Hon’ble Home Minister Amit Shah Ji, whose support over the past nine years has given me strength and recognition in the Telugu states. I might have had political differences with TDP, but there are no personal issues with Chandrababu Garu and his family. My friendship with Pawan Kalyan Garu is forever. In future, my focus will be on agriculture.” Vijaysai Reddy’s announcement comes over a month after the Andhra Pradesh CID issued lookout circulars against Reddy, the YSRCP general secretary, YSRCP MP Y V Subba Reddy’s son Y Vikranth Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma promoter P Sarat Chandra Reddy. They were named in an FIR on December 2 based on a complaint by Kakinada Seaports Ltd’s (KSPL) former chairman and managing director (CMD) Karnati Venkateswara Rao who alleged the forcible acquisition of KSPL through Aurobindo Realty and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd at the insistence of Jagan Mohan Reddy. At the time, the YSRCP criticised the N Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh for filing cases against Opposition leaders. Vijaysai, whose praises for the BJP and its central ministers have often stumped the Andhra BJP unit and taken the sting out of its attacks on the YSRCP, is a close confidant of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Vijayasai, who had a successful career as a chartered accountant with offices in several cities, had been close to the YSR family since 1980 when he first met Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy, Jagan’s father and former CM, at a wedding. At Rajashekara Reddy’s invitation, he joined politics and also served as the family’s financial advisor, especially to Jagan who had several businesses at the time. In 2006, YSR nominated him to the board of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for two terms. It was not until after YSR died in a helicopter crash in September 2009 that he became very close to Jagan, becoming his trusted aide, and he became close to the family at a time of crisis. In 2012, the CBI named both Jagan and Vijayasai in chargesheets in cases of disproportionate assets and quid pro quo. Vijaysai got bail in these cases in October 2013. YSRCP leaders have earlier said Vijayasai is a “clever strategist” and has a “sharp political mind”. He is also said to have convinced Jagan to hire election strategist Prashant Kishor as an advisor for the 2019 Assembly elections which paid dividends as the party swept to power. Vijaysai in 2018 made news by touching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet and subsequently caught public attention by hopping onto a train to greet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat while it was passing through Andhra Pradesh or by “hobnobbing” with the Left leaders, Congress leaders like Shashi Tharoor, or Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee.
