Former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, once considered one of the most influential and trusted leaders in the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), now appears to be facing the sharpest political decline of his career.
According to sources within the YSRCP, there are growing indications that Chevireddy is becoming increasingly isolated within his own party and is struggling to recover from the fallout of the alleged liquor scam case.
Once seen as a powerful backroom operator and a dependable loyalist of YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chevireddy had played a significant role in both party affairs and during the party’s five-year tenure in government.
However, recent developments suggest that his political relevance has diminished considerably.
After his name surfaced prominently in the alleged liquor scam case, Jagan is said to have begun distancing himself from Chevireddy, apparently to avoid further damage to the party’s image.
Listed as Accused No. 38 (A38) in the case, Chevireddy spent around 226 days in Vijayawada jail as a remand prisoner; a development that not only dented his public image but also reportedly took a personal and psychological toll.
Although he was released on bail in January this year, sources say the political damage had already been done by then.
Within YSRCP circles, there is increasing talk that Jagan Mohan Reddy has become more cautious about leaders linked to the liquor scam.
Party strategists are believed to have concluded that defending such leaders too aggressively would only give the ruling coalition more ammunition to target the opposition.
Chevireddy, who was once deeply involved in key party decisions and was seen as an influential political troubleshooter, has now virtually disappeared from public view.
He is no longer visible in the media or in active frontline political mobilisation; a stark contrast to his earlier prominence.
His troubles have reportedly deepened further due to the government’s move to proceed against assets worth around ₹63 crore allegedly linked to him, as well as the registration of cases against his son Mohith Reddy.
These developments are said to have pushed him into a defensive mode, forcing him to focus more on legal survival than political activity.
Though Chevireddy is said to have met Jagan Mohan Reddy after his release from jail as a matter of political courtesy, insiders say the interaction did not lead to any meaningful restoration of his former stature within the party.
The support he may have expected from the leadership; or the central role he once enjoyed in party strategy and coordination; appears to have largely evaporated.
Observers note that his post-bail political life has so far been limited mostly to court hearings and legal proceedings, with very little sign of a return to active politics.
