The a number of energy struggles within the YS household that dominates Andhra Pradesh politics might have led to the cold-blooded homicide of YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s brother, Vivekananda Reddy. The CBI’s findings have stumped CM Jagan as he counted the alleged masterminds, who’re additionally his family members, amongst his closest aides

Long earlier than his cold-blooded homicide in 2019, YS Vivekananda Reddy had instructed a TV channel in 2011: “I consider myself as Lakshmana in the Hindu epic Ramayana to my elder brother YS Rajasekhara Reddy” (YSR, former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh and present CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s father).

“I used to take no matter coming from my anna (elder brother) as a command and it’s my obligation to deal with his area, which he assiduously constructed as an invincible fort for greater than three a long time, as his custodian,” he had mentioned. Like Vivekananda, everybody in the entire clan of Yeduguri Sandinti (YS) regarded YSR as an undisputed household head.

CBI’s Conspiracy Bombshell

By the time that Vivekananda had on condition that interview, YSR had been lifeless for 2 years in a chopper crash, and his nephew Jagan had parted methods with the social gathering which his father served for over three a long time. Vivekananda selected to sail with the Congress, accepting a ministry in Kiran Kumar Reddy authorities, over Jagan’s newly floated social gathering: Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC).

When Vivekananda served the YSR household with an unflinching loyalty, why would he fall out of favour with that household after YSR’s demise? Why would the 68-year outdated former minister be killed so mercilessly with the alleged involvement of his members of the family? The arrest of YS Bhaskar Reddy from the YS household within the Vivekananda homicide case, brings into focus these questions.

Bhaskar Reddy’s father Chinna Konda Reddy was the then Rayalaseema strongman YS Raja Reddy’s half-brother. Raja Reddy had 5 kids, together with the longer term Andhra CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Vivekananda Reddy. Bhaskar Reddy’s son is Avinash Reddy, the present Lok Sabha MP from Kadapa, which was represented by Vivekananda between 1999 and 2009.

To reduce to the current, the CBI has lent a political angle to the Vivekananda homicide. In a counter petition filed within the Telangana excessive court docket in opposition to the bail plea moved by an accused, CBI famous a “larger” conspiracy behind the case. The central company alleged that Avinash and his father Bhaskar nursed a grudge in opposition to the sufferer as he remained a hurdle for his or her additional rise in politics.

The Reddys Of Kadapa

To perceive what may have led to this it is very important rewind backwards two generations. In a basic occasion of sibling rivalry, Raja Reddy allegedly operated by his son Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) to make sure that the descendants of his half-brother Chinna Konda Reddy had been stored politically marginalised. There is sweet purpose to consider that YSR ensured that his father’s view on this matter ran as a writ within the household until his demise. That could possibly be why solely YSR, his brother Vivekananda Reddy, spouse Vijayamma and son Jagan Mohan Reddy dominated politics of their fiefdom of Kadapa between 1978 and 2014.

But the household of Bhaskar Reddy, son of Chinna Konda Reddy, nonetheless noticed a turnaround in its political fortunes after Jagan Mohan Reddy succeeded his father. The rise of Bhaskar Reddy’s household is credited to Jagan’s spouse, Bharati Reddy. Her mom Suguna is Bhaskar Reddy’s sister. Courtesy this proximity, Bharati Reddy urged her husband to favour Bhaskar Reddy and his son Avinash.

Bharati Reddy’s affect is believed to have earned Avinash Reddy the ticket for the household bastion of Kadapa for 2 successive phrases since 2014. This was purportedly in opposition to the needs of the opposite members of the direct household of Raja Reddy, who included Jagan’s mom Vijayamma and sister Sharmila Reddy.

Jagan’s Family: Split Down The Middle

Jagan and Bharati’s tilt in the direction of Bhaskar Reddy’s household allegedly pressured Vijayamma to quit her son’s party, YSR Congress, which she had headed as honorary president since its inception. Jagan’s sister Sharmila, who had undertaken a marathon padayatra in assist of her brother Jagan when he was in jail in money-laundering instances, too had acquired alienated from him. She is now main her personal social gathering in Telangana with Vijayamma serving to her out.

The CBI probe claims to have found that Vivekananda had firmly requested Jagan to maintain Avinash out of politics, retaining in step with the “wish” of his grandfather Raja Reddy. He had additionally allegedly suggested Jagan to favor both his mom Vijayamma or sister Sharmila for the Kadapa seat over Avinash, the CBI mentioned in its petition. Vivekananda’s pleas fell on deaf ears as Jagan handpicked Avinash for the Kadapa seat for the second time in 2019. Subsequently, Vivekananda Reddy was hacked to demise in his own house barely a month earlier than the elections.

The political entry of Bhaskar Reddy’s household, displacing YSR’s brother Vivekananda Reddy, spouse and daughter, resulting in the widening gulf throughout the YS household has political repercussions. YSR ensured micro-level constituency administration by Vivekananda Reddy when he was consolidating his place on the state and nationwide ranges. After Jagan got here to the helm, he entrusted this duty to Bhaskar Reddy and his son Avinash Reddy. But with the CBI beginning to tighten the noose across the father and the son who grew to become his shut aides, Jagan will really feel the warmth.

The query that continues to be is whether or not the spirited authorized battle being waged by Vivekananda’s daughter, N Sunitha Reddy, a US-returned medical skilled, will deliver the masterminds, no matter their station in life, to justice.

Gali Nagaraja is a senior journalist, previously related to The Hindu, The Times of India, and Hindustan Times for over three a long time. Views are private and don’t symbolize the stand of this publication.