In a scathing attack on his sister and Congress candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said that those donning a yellow sari (TDP’s party colour) and reading the script prepared by the TDP cannot assert ownership over YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s (YSR) legacy. Kadapa has turned out to be the turf for the raging battle between the YSR family, with both siblings claiming to be the true successor of their father, who served as the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh for two terms.

Reddy on Thursday filed his nomination from the Pulivendula MLA seat which comes under the Kadapa LS constituency. Addressing a public rally at Pulivendula, he also defended his candidate for the Kadapa LS seat YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the murder of his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy, saying his sisters (Sharmila and Suneetha) were misguided and had become a part of the Opposition’s conspiracy.

“There are external forces who are against your son, be it Chandrababu, his adopted son (Pawan Kalyan), the BJP, Congress, the yellow media – and if that wasn’t sufficient we are witnessing conspiracies they are orchestrating by involving my two sisters,” the Chief Minister said. While Sharmila is his younger sister, Suneetha is the daughter of his slain uncle. Both have been campaigning against Jagan for renominating YS Avinash Reddy, who is also related to Reddy’s wife YS Bharati. However, the Chief Minister gave a clean chit to Avinash Reddy and said “Avinash has done nothing wrong, and I strongly believe in that, which is why I gave him a ticket.”

Lashing out at Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, he said they often resort to insults, using terms like “Pulivendula culture, Kadapa culture, or Rayalaseema culture”. It is our culture to be kind and not give in to threats.”

He also took a dig at his sister Sharmila who had worn a yellow sari when she went to invite Chandrababu Naidu for her son’s wedding. “Those who wear yellow sari and read TDP’s script could never claim YSR’s legacy. Who targeted the YSR family? Who added YSR’s name to the CBI chargesheet? Only people will decide who are the true successors of YSR,” he remarked.

However, he was slammed by TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh for his jibe at Sharmila. “I question the sanity of this man who is questioning the dressing choice of his own sister. What a pity that the state is being ruled by a crazy despot,” wrote Lokesh on social media platform X.