Y. S. Vijayamma

Yeduguri Sandinti Vijayalakshmi (born 19 April 1956), also known as Y.S. Vijayamma, is a house wife-turned Indian politician of Andhra Pradesh who served as former MLA for Pulivendla constituency.[1] She is the current chairperson of the YSR Congress Party and the mother of 17th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.[2][3] She is also wife of the Indian politician Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.[4]

Yeduguri Sandinti Vijayalakshmi
Chairperson of YSR Congress Party
Assumed office
12 March 2011
Preceded byOffice established
Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
for Pulivendla
In office
13 May 2011 – 23 May 2014
Preceded byY. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Succeeded byY. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Personal details
Born (1956-04-19) 19 April 1956
Kadapa, Andhra State, India
(now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
NationalityIndian
Political partyYSR Congress Party (2011-present)
Other political
affiliations		Indian National Congress (before 2011)
Spouse(s)
Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy (m. 1971⁠–⁠2009)
RelationsY. S. Vivekananda Reddy (brother in law)
Y. S. Raja Reddy (father in law)
ChildrenY. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (son)
Y. S. Sharmila (daughter)
ResidenceAmaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India

Early life

She was born to Pochamreddy Ramanjula Reddy and Tulasamma in the village of Chimalavagula Palli, Tadipatri Taluk. She married Reddy while he pursued his medical career. The couple had two children, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Y. S. Sharmila.

Career

She was elected to the AP assembly as an unopposed Congress candidate in the by-election held to Pulivendula constituency in December 2009 to fill the vacancy caused by her husband's death.[5] She lost the LS election for Visakhapatnam seat in 2014.

The humiliation meted out to the YSR family by the Congress high command provoked the family member Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, against Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to threaten him politically. Vijayamma quit the Congress party and assembly membership along with her son who also quit both the party and his MP seat on 29 Nov 2010.[6]

Vijayamma and her son Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy were again elected to the assembly and Lok Sabha respectively in the by-elections held on 8 May 2011. Both of them fought the by-elections on behalf of the fledgling YSR Congress Party founded by her son on 12 March 2011.[7]

In the by-polls to the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula assembly seats, Jagan Mohan Reddy and Vijayamma retained the seats respectively, but as YSRCP candidates with record majorities. Jagan Mohan Reddy won the Kadapa seat with an all-time record majority of 543,053 votes, while Vijayamma won the Pulivendula seat with a record margin of 85,191 votes.[8]

Later, by undertaking the poll campaign along with her daughter Smt. Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, Vijayamma guided the YSR Congress Party to an unprecedented victory in the June 2012 by-polls in which their party won 15 of the 18 assembly seats [9] for which the polls were held in the absence of her son Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Political agitation

Vijayamma went on repeated hunger strikes, protesting various policies such as a power tariff hike[10] and the Government's reluctance to release funds towards fee reimbursement of college students.[11] She participated in agitations on several occasions fighting on behalf of farmers and women and seeking justice on many an issue including Samaikyandhra agitation with an indefinite fast demanding the Government of India to keep Andhra Pradesh united.[12]

References
  1. "Vijayamma elected, to fill the gap by her deceased husband". Times of India. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  2. "Meet the YSRCP Honorary President, Vijayamma". Sakshi. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  3. "YSRC Party President Vijayamma meets Pranab Mukherjee". The Economic Times. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  4. "About YS Vijayamma, the woman behind YSRCP". YSR Congress. 20 May 2019.
  5. YSR widow elected unopposed
  6. Jaganmohan Reddy resigns from Congress
  7. Jagan formally launches YSR Congress
  8. Record-breaking win for Jagan in Kadapa election
  9. 2012 Andhra Pradesh by-election
  10. "Vijayamma leads state wide protests". www.ysrcongress.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  11. "Vijayamma calls off 2-day Fees Deeksha". www.ysrcongress.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  12. Vijayamma participates in Jantar Mantar dharna
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