Was Jagan caught between his uncles?

Desaraju Surya

Hyderabad: Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who quit the Congress party as well as his Lok Sabha seat, was in fact caught between his two uncles – one from his late father’s side and the other from his mother’s. The alleged rift within the family was threatening to spill onto the streets when Jagan realised he had to find a quick escape route to safeguard the “family prestige.” As his uncle (father’s younger brother) Y S Vivekananda Reddy left for New Delhi reportedly to seek a berth in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, Jagan seized the opportunity to mount an attack on the Congress high command and cry foul. He saw a “conspiracy being hatched to vertically split the family.” “Is it fair to lure my uncle Y S Vivekanada Reddy to Delhi, thereby paving way for fissures in my family,” he angrily questioned AICC president Sonia Gandhi in an open letter. The fact, however, was something else. For a few months now, Jagan was reportedly not on good terms with Vivekananda. On his part Vivekananda, a Member of the Legislative Council, too was unhappy with Jagan’s ways. “Vivekananda apparently did not like the way in which Jagan was totally being influenced by his other uncle Y V Subba Reddy (Rajasekhara Reddy’s co-brother). Subba Reddy has become Jagan’s karta, karma, kriya (be all and do all) much to Viveka’s discomfiture,” a source close to Jagan’s family said. Vivekananda is known to be a “humble, mild-mannered” man and is highly revered across Kadapa. In fact, he is held in high esteem than his elder brother (late) Rajasekhara Reddy in their hometown Pulivendula from where Vivekananda was elected to the state Assembly twice. “Jagan’s fear is that he stands no chance against his uncle any day in their home turf Pulivendula or Kadapa. Such is the stature of Vivekananda,” the source noted. On the other hand, Subba Reddy was never in public life and looked after his own business as well as YSR’s. “Subba Reddy is now Jagan’s key strategist. It is he who is driving the rebel leader,” the source pointed out. The fissures within the family were thus obvious, making Vivekananda to tread a different path.