Jagan's mother quits YSRC to side with daughter

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's mother Y S Vijayamma on Friday resigned from the honorary president's post of YSR Congress to stand by her daughter Sharmila , who is now heading the YSR Telangana party in the neighbouring state.

Announcing her decision to quit the YSRC, at the party's two-day plenary that began here Friday, Vijayamma said, As a mother, I will always be close to Jagan. She lamented that a fake resignation letter in her name was circulated in the social media a few days ago.

"How could they release a letter that I have not written or signed? They have created a campaign about the rift in our family. I am quitting the party (YSRC) to leave no scope for such things," Vijayamma said.

For some time now, there have been reports that all is not well between Jagan and his sister, ostensibly over property-related issues. The acrimony between brother and sister escalated and the mother had allegedly been staying away from her son. Vijayamma and also apparently Jagan used the YSRC plenary as the platform to portray that nothing was amiss in the family. For over 10 minutes, she spoke extempore in clear terms about the hard times their family went through after the death of YSR and how they were 'hounded' by the Congress and the central investigating agencies.

Vijayamma then read out a letter to announce her resignation. Sharmila is waging a lone battle in Telangana, to carry forward her father's ideals. My conscience says I have to support her. I was in a dilemma whether I could be a member of two political parties. It is difficult for me to continue as honorary president of YSRC, Vijayamma said. I never imagined such a situation would ever arise. I don't know why it happened, but I feel it is a decision of God, she remarked.