It has been nearly six months since former Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy resigned from the YSR Congress Party and his MP seat, taking everyone by surprise.
He announced that he would step away from politics and focus on agriculture.
Though he claimed that he had quit the party and his post due to a lack of respect within the YSRCP and having lost the trust of party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, many found this explanation unconvincing.
There was widespread speculation that he would eventually join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
However, no such development has taken place so far. Occasionally, Sai Reddy has tweeted in praise of BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but his formal entry into the BJP has yet to materialize.
His abrupt resignation from both the YSRCP and the Rajya Sabha continues to puzzle political observers.
According to reliable political sources, Sai Reddy may have been used as a pawn in a strategic move by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leadership.
These sources claim that Sai Reddy was in contact with a TDP leader who allegedly promised him a prominent position in the BJP if he resigned from the YSRCP and gave up his Rajya Sabha seat.
The TDP emissary reportedly assured him that even Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would not object to his entry into the BJP, as it would serve the TDP’s political interests.
He further assured that if Sai Reddy joined the BJP, the pending cases against him would no longer be pursued by either the central or state governments.
This assurance reportedly brought great relief to Sai Reddy, who had been growing increasingly uncomfortable in the YSRCP due to the rising influence of a coterie around Jagan Mohan Reddy, particularly figures like Raj Kesireddy.
Consequently, Sai Reddy made a quick decision — he met Amit Shah and then publicly announced his resignation via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
However, after resigning, Sai Reddy lost his influence in Delhi and access to the BJP’s top brass. Despite multiple efforts, he has not received the green light to join the party. It became apparent that Naidu still opposed his entry into the BJP.
Now, the TDP emissary who had encouraged him to resign is also avoiding him, leaving Sai Reddy politically stranded.
“It was a calculated move by the TDP leadership,” said a source. “Sai Reddy was a strong link between Jagan Mohan Reddy and the BJP leadership in Delhi. The TDP felt that unless this connection was broken, the BJP might continue to favor Jagan. So, they maneuvered Sai Reddy into resigning.”
Now, Sai Reddy finds himself in a position of political limbo — “neither here nor there.” He cannot return to the YSRCP, nor is he being welcomed into the BJP. For now, he has no choice but to retreat to his farmlands.
