Jagan party exposes Vijaya Sai Reddy’s links to TDP

While in Telangana KTR an Kavitha are fighting, in Andhra Pradesh, Vijaya Sai Reddy, the former close ally of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, turned against him. The YSRC party leaked a video about him exposing his links with Telugu Desam party.

The video exposed former Rajya Sabha MP and long-time aide of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, for maintaining secret ties with the rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The footage has ignited a political storm, with YSRCP leaders accusing Sai Reddy of betraying the party to align with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s camp.

The video reportedly shows Sai Reddy in a private meeting with Janardhan Rao, an associate of the TDP, just before a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation into Sai Reddy’s activities began.

 YSRCP leaders argue that this meeting suggests a covert alliance between Sai Reddy and the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), aimed at destabilizing Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership.

Sold out to Chandrababu Naidu

This development follows Sai Reddy’s sudden resignation from both the Rajya Sabha and the YSR Congress on January 25, 2025. At the time, he cited personal reasons and denied plans to join another political outfit. However, the YSRCP has since accused him of being “sold out to Chandrababu Naidu” and claims his departure was orchestrated to damage the party from within.

Prominent YSRCP figures, including Nellore district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy, have publicly criticized Sai Reddy, alleging that his recent remarks against the party were scripted by TDP leadership.

Govardhan Reddy further claimed that Sai Reddy’s realignment was meant to deflect from the YSRCP’s grassroots movements, including its ‘Yuvatha Poru’ campaign. He also questioned the former MP’s relationship with Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishnam Raju, citing instances such as Sai Reddy renting property to him as evidence of a deeper connection.

Sai Reddy’s political past

The controversy has reignited interest in Sai Reddy’s political past. In 2012, he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the disproportionate assets case involving Jagan Mohan Reddy but was later released on bail. More recently, he was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding allegations that he pressured owners of Kakinada SeaPorts to sell shares below market value—claims that the current TDP government asserts benefitted the previous regime.

Adding further intrigue are Sai Reddy’s personal ties to the TDP—his niece is married to Nandamuri Taraka Ratna, a grandson of TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao. These connections have been used by critics to reinforce the claim that his loyalties were divided long before his resignation. The release of the video has intensified the debate over Sai Reddy’s political motivations. While some view the leak as a necessary exposé of a betrayal, others see it as a diversion tactic by the YSRCP, which has been reeling from the loss of four Rajya Sabha MPs after its 2024 election defeat. Several defectors, including M. Venkataramana and B. Masthan Rao, have already joined the TDP.