19 months after Rajya Sabha exit, Vijayasai Reddy announces new Andhra party
In a significant political development in Andhra Pradesh, former Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy announced on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) that he would float a new political party in the State. The announcement came after he offered prayers at the Tirumala temple with his family, bringing to an end 19 months of speculation about his return to public life.
Speaking after the temple visit, Mr. Reddy said the party's main aim would be to make the people's voice heard in Parliament and the State Assembly. "It would be a platform to take up their problems and fight on their behalf," he said. He described the Tirumala visit as a way of seeking blessings for the new venture.
He, however, declined to share further details, citing the bar on political talk at Tirumala. He said he would set out his roadmap to the media in Vijayawada later this month. Political observers are expected to look for indications of the party's name, ideology, and electoral strategy from that address.
Mr. Reddy, 69, is a chartered accountant from Nellore and has been part of Andhra Pradesh politics for decades. He served as the family auditor of late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and was a founding member of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). He went on to become the party's national general secretary and its leader in the Rajya Sabha, a position he held from 2016 until his resignation in January 2025.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Reddy contested the Nellore seat on the YSRCP ticket but lost to Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Earlier, in 2012, he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the disproportionate assets case against YSRCP leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He was granted bail in the case.
The former Rajya Sabha MP was for years considered among the closest figures to the YSRCP leadership. His decision to start a new party marks a significant shift in his political career. It also reflects the evolving political landscape in Andhra Pradesh, where several regional leaders are exploring independent paths. Mr. Reddy has not yet announced the name of the party or its planned structure.
