Jagan refuses Bengaluru palace for niece’s wedding but offers Sharmila his Hyderabad property — why?

With PTI YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has refused to allow his Bengaluru residence, known as Yelahanka Palace, to be used for the wedding of his niece Anjili. The decision has triggered a political row in Andhra Pradesh, with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accusing the former chief minister of creating hurdles for his niece’s wedding.

The wedding is scheduled for November. Anjili is the daughter of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president YS Sharmila, Jagan’s younger sister, with whom his relations have been strained.

The YSRCP released a letter dated October 9 that Jagan had written to Sharmila, explaining why he was unwilling to host the wedding at his Bengaluru property.

Why Jagan refused to host the wedding at Yelahanka Palace

In his letter, Jagan said holding a wedding at the property where he currently lives would pose “serious security concerns”. He explained that a wedding would bring a large number of people onto the premises, including catering staff, flower decorators, event managers, videographers, photographers and guests.

He pointed out that many of these people would be unfamiliar to the family. The movement of so many people in and out of the property, along with the circulation of photographs and videos showing the residence and its surroundings, could compromise the family’s security and privacy.

“Conducting wedding in the premises that I stay in would pose serious security concerns and thus the same was conveyed through various people (to Sharmila),” Jagan wrote.

He said the decision had not been easy, as he had watched Anjili grow up and wanted her wedding to be a happy occasion. However, he maintained that the potential security and privacy risks could not be ignored.

Jagan added that he would have taken the same decision even if the wedding had involved either of his daughters, Harsha or Varsha.

“This is my home and I want to ensure that me and my family are safe here,” he wrote, adding that he was hurt that Sharmila had proceeded despite his objections and concerns.

Jagan offers alternative venue in Hyderabad

While refusing permission to use Yelahanka Palace, Jagan offered Sharmila an alternative venue for the wedding.

In the letter, he said she could use his Hyderabad property at Lotus Pond if she did not want to opt for a convention centre or a destination wedding venue, as she had done for her son Raja’s wedding.

Jagan said his offer remained open and urged his sister to consider his concerns and choose another location.

He also clarified that he was happy to hear about Anjili’s wedding and wished her a lifetime of happiness and love, despite the differences between him and Sharmila over the past seven years.

The letter was released by the YSRCP as the dispute over the wedding venue escalated into a political controversy.

Chandrababu Naidu calls Jagan ‘Kamsa’

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu criticised Jagan for refusing to let the wedding take place at Yelahanka Palace.

Naidu compared the YSRCP chief to Kamsa, the evil maternal uncle of Lord Krishna, accusing him of creating obstacles for his niece’s wedding and acting against family values.

The chief minister alleged that Jagan’s decision amounted to injustice towards his mother and sister.

“He (Reddy) is denying Yelahanka Palace for niece’s wedding. What a strange development. Sister (Sharmila) will also have her share in assets,” Naidu said.

YSRCP accuses Naidu of diverting attention from poll-related allegations

The YSRCP hit back at Naidu, accusing him of launching personal attacks against Jagan to divert attention from alleged irregularities and violence surrounding the ongoing local body elections in Andhra Pradesh.

In a statement, the opposition party alleged that YSRCP candidates had been attacked and prevented from filing nominations. It accused the chief minister of using the family dispute over the wedding venue to shift the political debate away from these allegations.

The party also accused Naidu of “spewing venom” against Jagan and misrepresenting the circumstances surrounding the decision.

How Jagan and Sharmila’s relationship soured

The wedding venue dispute has reignited a nearly seven-year rift between YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister YS Sharmila, who leads the Congress in Andhra Pradesh. Their differences stem from disagreements over their father, former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s political legacy, Sharmila’s political role and the division of family assets.

Sharmila has accused Jagan of denying her a rightful share of the family wealth, while their mother, YS Vijayamma, has publicly backed her.

From political allies to estranged siblings

Sharmila was once among Jagan’s closest political allies. During his imprisonment in 2012–13, she undertook a nearly 3,000-km padyatra to mobilise support for him and strengthen his political base.

However, relations soured after Jagan became Andhra Pradesh chief minister in 2019. Differences over Sharmila’s political role and the division of the family’s assets contributed to the growing rift.

Sharmila subsequently charted an independent political course before joining the Congress in 2024, putting her on a separate political path from her brother.