YSR Congress party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy, who had hitherto been considered a Man-Friday of party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is now said to have become a persona non grata.
According to party sources, Jagan, who had been keenly watching the activities of Sai Reddy for the last three years in power, has realised that Sai Reddy behaving like an extra-Constitutional authority.
Sources said there had been several complaints from the party leaders in north coastal Andhra about the alleged irregularities committeed by Sai Reddy’s followers in Visakhapatnam.
He has also been indulging in a sort of shadow-boxing with leaders like Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and S V Subba Reddy, who are close confidants of Jagan.
As a result, the chief minister, who initially maintained restraint, has decided to clip the wings of Sai Reddy, as the complaints were flooding.
It was evident from the way Jagan has stripped Sai Reddy of the party in-charge post in Visakhapatnam and entrusting the north-coastal districts to senior minister Botsa Satyanarayana. Now, Sai Reddy has been confined to looking after only the affiliated wings of the YSRC.
There is also a talk that Jagan has developed second thoughts over nominating Sai Reddy to Rajya Sabha for a second consecutive term.
The Rajya Sabha member will be completing his term in June and has been the front runner for the re-nomination.
However, sources said, Jagan might give a second chance to Sai Reddy because of the latter’s clout in the political and official circles in New Delhi, especially in the Prime Minister’s Office.
But there are allegations that Sai Reddy has been misusing his power in Delhi.
A recent incident of Sai Reddy going all the way to Narasapur to meet Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagawat and posing for a photo with him in the train is learnt to have sown seeds of suspicion in Jagan.
“Jagan has taken serious note of it and that is why he is hesitating to give him a second term,” a source said.
In a bid to be in the good books of Jagan, Sai Reddy is now conducting programmes like Job Melas in Visakhapatnam and other major cities to secure jobs to the unemployed youth in private companies.
“He has no option but to remain calm till he gets renomination to the Rajya Sabha,” sources added.