Hyderabad: Venumbaka Vijayasai Reddy, the former Rajya Sabha member who helped found the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), is scripting his reentry into politics, this time with a media push alongside it, a year after he resigned as MP and announced stepping away from politics.
Speaking to ThePrint on Saturday, the 68-year-old confirmed his decision to launch a digital media platform and a television channel to advance his political career, shape public opinion, and ostensibly counter his rivals in Andhra Pradesh.
While the digital media channel will be launched in July, the TV channel will make its debut in 2027 on Ugadi, the Telugu new year, he stated, outlining his broader plans for both the media entrepreneurial venture and his return to being a full-time politician.
Vijayasai Reddy’s daughter Neha Reddy will be overseeing the operations of the media outlets as he chalks out his comeback plan, the former YSRCP leader said.
“I am currently in Visakhapatnam and will tour the entire district before I undertake a tour of the entire state to meet the people before the 2029 elections. I will hand over the reins of the channel to my daughter once I finalise my political avenue,” Vijayasai Reddy told ThePrint.
Though Andhra Pradesh will be the focus of his politics, his channels will be headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. Announcing his decision to promote his platforms, he posted on X that the digital media platform will report news in Telugu, Hindi, and English, while his satellite news channel will broadcast news in Telugu alone.
“This platform will be balanced, unbiased, and committed to the truth. Our aim is to give a voice to the people and highlight real issues that matter to the common man, women, youth, farmers, workers and the underprivileged. The name of the platform will be announced soon. Stay tuned,” his post read.
“I have neither any partners in this media venture nor will my platform align with any one political party. The platform will remain independent and will not align with any political party,” he said.
The foray into the media industry and his plan for starting his political outfit came a little over a year after he resigned as a Rajya Sabha member in January 2025, announcing that he was stepping away from politics.
Dear Friends,
Very soon, we will be launching a digital media platform for news in Telugu, Hindi and English. This platform will be balanced, unbiased and committed to the truth.
Our aim is to give a voice to the people and highlight real issues that matter to the common man,…
— Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) April 11, 2026
A native of Nellore, Vijayasai Reddy was the longest-serving parliamentary party leader for the YSRCP. He was nominated to the upper house first in 2016 and then in 2024 when his term ended.
During his eight-year tenure, Reddy served as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, and was the national general secretary of the YSRCP.
A chartered accountant by profession, he runs M/s. VS Reddy SP & Associates, with offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and a few other cities.
Once considered a close aide to the former Andhra Pradesh CM late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, also a former CM, Vijaysai Reddy was their family’s auditor.
His proximity to the first family in Andhra Pradesh while Jagan was the chief minister between 2019-2024 was visible to all—he was financial advisor to several of Jagan’s firms and his loyalty to the family was rewarded with him being made a member of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for two consecutive terms in addition to his stint as Director of the Oriental Bank of Commerce.
Reddy was jailed along with Jagan in January 2012 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a disproportionate assets case filed against Jagan. The charges against Vijayasai Reddy include criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, falsification of accounts, and criminal misconduct.
He was released on bail in October 2013 and played an active role in building the YSRCP in Andhra.
While the real reason for his resignation from the Rajya Sabha is unknown, it is speculated that a rift with Jagan and his wife Y.S Bharathi Reddy led to his sudden stepping down in 2025.
“My last conversation with Jagan was a day before I resigned from my post as a Rajya Sabha member. I haven’t spoken to him or his wife Bharathi after that. For that matter, I have not been in touch with current chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu garu or Pawan Kalyan garu, who are both my friends,” Reddy said.
Vijayasai Reddy’s decision to tour Andhra Pradesh interestingly coincides with Jagan’s decision to undertake a padayatra across AP towards the end of 2027.
Vijayasai Reddy, in fact, played a central role in establishing and structuring Jagati Publications, the publishing firm that owns and runs the Telugu daily Sakshi and a news channel by the same name.
The channel was set up in 2008, a year before YSR returned to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2009 for a second term as CM with a thumping majority.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Ripples in AP as Jagan’s top aide quits politics. Who is Vijayasai Reddy, YSRCP’s sharp-tongued no.2