Atmakuru will have a by-election very soon due to the sudden demise of the then minister Mekapati Gowtham Reddy. There were rumors that his wife Sri Keerthy will be the YSRCP candidate.
But Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy is pressing for the candidature of his other son, Vikram Reddy.
Keerthy wants to take Goutham’s place so that she can pass on the mantle to her son, Arjun Reddy when he comes of age. She fears once Vikram is in, the legacy is lost forever for her son.
Raja Mohan Reddy is, however, of the opinion that women of his family should not involve in electoral politics even though Keerthy is educated and campaigned for her husband in the elections.
Keerthy reportedly reached out to Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy about her interest in contesting the by-poll. Now, Jagan has to take a call between choosing between Vikram and Sri Keerthy.
Raja Mohan Reddy is close to the YS family for a long time. Jagan can not dare to snub him. At the same time, saying no to the wife of the deceased leader is not easy as well.
In fact, Jagan planned to induct Sri Keerthy into his cabinet but changed his mind at the last minute due to a lack of consensus among the family.
Opposition parties are unlikely to allow for a unanimous election if the rifts become public. Also, there will be negative repercussions for the party in the voters if the differences in the family are exposed.
So, YSR Congress needs to handle the issue carefully.
