Andhra: Politics apart, Jagan, Sharmila fight it over father’s property; personal letters go viral

Vijayawada: The feud between YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister YS Sharmila took a new turn after communication between them went viral on social media.

Hours, after reports surfaced that YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has moved NCLT against his sister YS Sharmila, TDP released a letter on X calling it a `big expose’.

Purportedly written by Sharmila to Jagan, the letter dated September 12 said it was their father late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy who had unambiguously instructed that all properties acquired with family resources during his lifetime should be divided equally amongst his four grandchildren.

Jagan had moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), accusing Sharmila of illegally transferring shares of Saraswati Power and Industries - held by him and his wife Bharathi Reddy - on her and their mother Vijayamma’s names.

The former Chief Minister had also written a letter to Sharmila expressing his desire to revoke the MoU that he had signed with her in 2019 to allocate, ‘out of love and affection’, a portion of his self-acquired assets, including shares in Saraswati Power Company, to her.

Mentioning him as Jagan Anna, Sharmila wrote, "The assets mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as being transferred to me out of "love and affection" were, in truth, only in partial fulfillment of our father's directives. I must emphasize "partial," as you insisted on retaining a majority share in Bharathi Cements and Sakshi. But since you had the upper hand, you did bulldoze your way and we agreed to a settlement as stated in the MOU. Since you are my elder brother and in the interest of resolving family disputes, I agreed to give up my equal share. Thus, under the MoU executed on 31.08.2019, only a few properties were assigned to me."

"Now, contrary to our father's wishes and your undertaking, you have sought to terminate the MoU unilaterally. Legally your letter is contrary to the MoU and has no sanctity, but what saddens me is the spirit behind your letter. It undermines every ideal of our late father. You have done what our father would never have imagined- filed cases against his dear wife (our mother) and daughter (myself) to deprive his family of their legitimate share of properties," she wrote.

Sharmila also mentioned how her political career is her own choice

Differences cropped up between the siblings after Sharmila joined the Congress party earlier this year and was made the president of its Andhra Pradesh unit. She contested from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in the May general elections and lost to YS Avinash Reddy.

"My political career is mine by choice and I will not allow you to dictate the terms of my professional conduct. It is absurd of you to suggest that I put my signature down on a clause that binds me from speaking against you and Avinash on public platforms. Imposing such a condition to come to a settlement even on the discounted MOU is entirely unreasonable," Sharmila wrote.