In a significant political development in Andhra Pradesh, former YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy on Wednesday launched his new political outfit, the Parivarthana Rajaneethi Party (PRP), marking a fresh chapter in his political career and setting the stage for a possible challenge to the State’s established political forces.
Unveiling the party at a convention centre in Vijayawada at 11.11 am, Sai Reddy introduced its saffron-and-white flag featuring a Dharma Chakra and announced the slogan, “For the nation, for the dharma.” The launch, held at an astrologically chosen time, carried a clear political message: the former YSRCP strategist wants to emerge as an alternative to both the YSR Congress and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Sai Reddy’s political journey has been closely intertwined with the rise of the YSR Congress. A chartered accountant by profession, he was a trusted associate of former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy. Following the latter’s death in a helicopter crash in September 2009, Sai Reddy stood firmly behind his son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, when he launched the YSR Congress in 2010 after breaking away from the Congress.
Over the years, Sai Reddy emerged as one of Jagan’s influential political associates and a key organisational strategist. His election to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 and re-election in 2023 strengthened his position in national politics. He also served as the YSRCP’s parliamentary party leader. However, differences with Jagan eventually led to his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and departure from the party in January 2025.
At the launch, Sai Reddy launched a sharp attack on his former party’s leadership, attributing its dramatic electoral decline to arrogance and an inability to accept criticism. The YSRCP, which won 151 of the 175 Assembly seats in 2019, was reduced to just 11 in the 2024 elections.
He argued that voters had appreciated the welfare schemes introduced during the YSRCP government but rejected the attitude of its leadership. According to him, the party gradually became disconnected from ordinary people and its own workers.
Positioning PRP as a party focused on political change, Sai Reddy promised two-thirds of its candidates in the 2029 Assembly elections would be from Generation Z, while 50 per cent would be women. He also invited dissatisfied YSRCP workers to join the new organisation.
The party has promised free electricity, free education, employment and livelihood opportunities for youth, besides measures to improve middle-class incomes.
Sai Reddy’s biggest challenge, however, will be translating his political experience and former organisational influence into public support. Having helped build the YSRCP into a formidable political force, he is now attempting to challenge its leadership.
Whether the PRP can evolve into a credible third political force or remain a vehicle for Sai Reddy’s political ambitions will become clearer in the run-up to the 2029 elections.