For quite some time, there have been speculations doing rounds in a section of media and also the political circles that YSR Congress party general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy might be shifted from the party responsibilities in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh.
According to these speculations, party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had been receiving several complaints from the party leaders, besides intelligence reports that Sai Reddy had been running a parallel government in the north-coastal districts, particularly in Visakhapatnam, which has been chosen as the executive capital of the state.
Sai Reddy’s dominance in these districts has not been taken kindly by some of Jagan’s own cabinet colleagues from the region and also some MLAs. Except a few leaders, it is rumoured that not many YSRC leaders are supporting him.
This led to the talk that Jagan might replace Sai Reddy with another senior leader as the party in-charge of north coastal districts.
The name of another Rajya Sabha member Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, also from Nellore district, has come up for discussion as a replacement for Sai Reddy.
And Sai Reddy’s services might be used as an over-all coordinator of the party affairs in the entire state, these speculations said.
However, according to latest reports from within the YSRC, Jagan has decided against making any changes in the present set-up at least for now. He would continue Sai Reddy as the party in-charge of north-coastal Andhra districts at least till the next assembly elections.
On the other hand, the reports said, Jagan has decided to entrust more responsibilities of the party to his another close aide – Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
It is learnt, Sajjala has been asked to look after the party affairs in seven out of 13 districts – four Rayalaseema districts, besides, Nellore, Prakasam and Guntur districts.
On the other hand, Jagan’s uncle and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman Y V Subba Reddy has been asked to take care of East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.
“There are no official orders form the party. Jagan has given instructions to all the three leaders orally. They would be concentrating on the party affairs in their respective domains till the next elections,” sources added.
