Former YSRCP leader Vijayasai Reddy to launch new political party in Andhra Pradesh

V. Vijayasai Reddy will launch a new political party in Andhra Pradesh, ending 19 months away from active politics after resigning from the Rajya Sabha in January 2025. The 69-year-old former YSRCP leader made the announcement on Wednesday after visiting the Tirumala temple with his family.

The party will focus on amplifying people's concerns in Parliament and the state Assembly, serving as a platform to raise public issues and advocate on their behalf, Vijayasai Reddy said. He told reporters he would outline his political roadmap at a media briefing in Vijayawada later this month, observing the ban on political statements at Tirumala.

Break from YSRCP inner circle

A chartered accountant from Nellore, Vijayasai Reddy spent years in the inner circle of the YSR Congress Party leadership. He worked as the family auditor of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and went on to become a founding member of the YSRCP, serving as its national general secretary and Rajya Sabha leader.

His parliamentary tenure ran from 2016 until his resignation in January last year. He contested the Nellore Lok Sabha constituency in 2024 but lost to TDP's Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy.

Legal battles in earlier years

In 2012, the CBI arrested Vijayasai Reddy in connection with the disproportionate assets case against Jagan Mohan Reddy, though he was later granted bail.

The new party marks a significant shift for a politician who occupied one of the most influential positions in the YSRCP organisation, raising questions about fragmentation in opposition politics in Andhra Pradesh and whether his breakaway will draw support from disaffected YSRCP cadres or independents.

Source: The Hindu