News Politics National Meet the three women standing behind Jaganmohan Reddy

Meet the three women standing behind Jaganmohan Reddy

Hyderabad: When Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was alive, the role of women in the Andhra Pradesh chief minister's family was more or less confined to the home. But his death in a helicopter crash and the

Vijayamma, as Vijayalakshmi is popularly known, is honorary president of the party and is handling its day-to-day affairs.

Jagan's sister Sharmila has taken up the responsibility of reaching out to masses like him by undertaking 'yatras' or walkathons. His wife Bharathi is managing the business empire.

Before YSR's death in a helicopter crash in 2009, all the politics Vijayamma knew was the stories which her husband used to share after returning from his visits to various parts of the state.

Though heading the party in the assembly, she can barely express herself. Telugu is the only language she can speak in public, but the 57-year-old is still trying to keep the morale of the party cadre high in the absence of Jagan, the most popular face of the fledgling outfit.

"When YSR was alive, we never imagined that we will be in politics," Vijayamma told IANS during a recent interaction.

Claiming that her son is innocent, she is confident that he will come out on bail. "How long they will keep him away from the people? I have full faith in God, who is all powerful." said Vijayamma, who always holds a Bible in her hand.

Jagan may be devising the party strategy in jail but it is left to the triumvirate to implement it on ground. When the Congress party recently decided that Andhra Pradesh should be bifurcated, Jagan realized that the party has no stakes in Telangana and hence should cash in on the united Andhra sentiment in Rayalaseema (the region he comes from) and coastal Andhra.