Andhra Pradesh politics has seen a fresh exchange between the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) after Minister Nara Lokesh criticised former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over a disagreement concerning his niece’s wedding venue. Lokesh used the family dispute to raise questions about Jagan’s record on women’s welfare during his time in office.
In a post on social media on October 26, Lokesh criticised Jagan for not permitting the wedding of his niece, Y. S. Anjili Reddy, to take place at the family property in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. He argued that a maternal uncle is traditionally expected to support his niece on such an important occasion and connected the disagreement to his broader criticism of Jagan’s governance.
Wedding Venue Dispute Reignites Family Tensions
Anjili Reddy is the daughter of Y. S. Sharmila, who heads the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee. Her wedding to Somala Raghurami Reddy is scheduled for November 25.
Sharmila had planned to hold the ceremony at Yelahanka Palace, a property associated with the family of her late father, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. However, Jagan reportedly opposed using the Bengaluru property for the event, citing concerns about security, privacy and the movement of a large number of guests and service staff.
In a letter dated October 9, Jagan conveyed his wishes to the couple while suggesting alternative venues, including a property in Hyderabad or a convention centre. The disagreement has brought the longstanding differences between the siblings over family assets back into public discussion.
TDP Links the Controversy to Women’s Welfare
Lokesh’s comments extended beyond the immediate family disagreement. He used the episode to renew the TDP’s criticism of Jagan’s administration, which governed Andhra Pradesh from 2019 to 2024.
During that period, the YSRCP government promoted several welfare initiatives, including YSR Cheyutha and YSR Asara, which were intended to provide financial support to eligible women and women’s self-help groups. The party has highlighted these programmes as part of its welfare record.
The TDP, meanwhile, has questioned whether the previous government fulfilled its commitments to women and other beneficiary groups. Following the 2024 Assembly election, the TDP-led government also promoted its own set of welfare commitments, including measures directed at women and girls.
Lokesh’s latest remarks place the wedding controversy within this wider political disagreement. However, his criticism represents the TDP’s position and does not, by itself, establish the merits of the competing claims about women’s welfare.
Political Rivalry Adds Another Dimension
The dispute has also drawn comments from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, who criticised Jagan over the disagreement. The YSRCP, in turn, has accused its political opponents of using personal matters to score political points.
The family disagreement has broader political significance because Sharmila leads the Congress organisation in Andhra Pradesh, while her brother remains the head of the YSRCP. Their differences over family property have developed alongside their separate political paths.
With the wedding scheduled for November, the dispute continues to attract attention beyond the family itself. Lokesh’s intervention shows how a private disagreement can become part of the wider political contest in Andhra Pradesh, particularly when rival parties connect it to questions of governance and welfare.
