Yeduguri Sandinti Vivekananda Reddy (8 August 1951 – 15 March 2019) was a member of the 14th

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

of India. He represented the

Kadapa Kadapa is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. It is located south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides by ...

constituency of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. He was a member of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

. He was brutally hacked with an axe to death at his residence in

Pulivendula Pulivendula is a town located in the YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a small town which became 3rd grade municipality in 2008 from nagar Panchayat. It is located in Pulivendula mandal and is the headquarter ...

Kadapa district YSR Kadapa district is one of the twenty six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In the 2022 reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh districts, the district boundary was largely restricted to the Kadapa parliamentary constituency area. ...

on 15 March 2019.

Personal life

Being born into a middle-class family on 8 August 1951 to Y. S. Raja Reddy and Y. S. Jayamma, Vivekananda Reddy was the younger brother of the former

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but '' de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...

Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He was a graduate in agriculture from S. V. Agricultural College in

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...

. He has one daughter.

Political career

Vivekananda Reddy was the designer of Lingala Canal in Kadapa district. He began his services to the community through the Lions Club, became its district governor and the Samithi president. He was twice elected as a

Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...

for the

constituency, in 1989 and 1994. Then, in the elections of 1999, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency with a majority of over 26,000 votes. In 2004 elections he increased that majority to over 130,000 votes. In September 2009, he was elected as a member of the

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council ( Telugu: ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ శాసన మండలి, ISO: ''Āndhra Pradēś Śāsana Maṇḍali'') is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state, Andhra Pra ...

. On 30 November 2010, he became Agriculture Minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet headed by

N. Kiran Kumar Reddy Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy (born 13 September 1960) is an Indian politician who served as the 16th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 25 November 2010 and 1 March 2014. He was the last Chief Minister of the Andhra Pradesh before the format ...

. Later, in 2011, he contested the Pulivendula by-elections caused due to Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother, Y. S. Vijayamma, leaving the

Congress party The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement t ...

to form YSR Congress Party. He stood as the Congress candidate against his sister-in-law and just managed to secure his deposit after finishing in second place but some 80,000 votes behind Y. S. Vijayamma. He was found dead at his residence in Pulivendula on 15 March 2019. His party

YSRCP The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (, YSRCP or YCP), often shortened to simply the YSR Congress Party, is an Indian regional political party based in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The party was initially registered with Election Commissi ...

demanded a CBI probe for investigation.

Family tree

Murder

As per

post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...

reports, Vivekananda Reddy has been brutally murdered and found at his residence in Kadapa on 15 March 2019. The death was first reported as a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

but later found to be a murder which led to further suspicion. The murder took place few weeks before the

2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Elections Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * ''19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * ''Dician ...

. As per the

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

's report, seven stab wounds were found on his body made by a sharp object. According to reports, he was alone at his residence in

the night before his murder. Two days earlier, he was seen at Jaganmohan Reddy's residence at Hyderabad. YSRCP expressed distrust of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the TDP government and demanded a CBI investigation into the murder. A prime suspect, Srinivasulu Reddy, killed himself by taking sleeping pills. Reportedly, in a suicide note, he alleged he was harassed by the police with false allegations. Another suspect, Parameswara Reddy, an old friend of Vivekananda Reddy, has claimed he was victimised and harassed in the name of the probe. Jaganmohan Reddy petitioned the High court seeking a CBI inquiry into his uncle's murder. After a change of government, in May 2019 he constituted a new SIT of the state police to probe the murder and tried to withdraw his petition in the court demanding CBI probe. In January 2020, his daughter filed a writ petition in High Court seeking a CBI investigation and expressed doubts over the investigation by SIT. She alleged suspicion of Y. S. Avinash Reddy who was one of the first to arrive at the murder scene. In March 2020, the High Court expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress in the investigation by the state police as the murder completed a year. The court ordered CBI to begin the investigation and complete at the earliest. In June 2021, CBI resumed the investigation which was put on hold due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in India The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of , according to Indian government ...

. In February 2023, CBI mentioned that Y. S. Avinash Reddy tried to conceal the design of the murder by creating a false theory of heart attack in the counter affidavit filed in the Telangana High court. In March 2023, the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

expressed dissatisfaction on the status report submitted by the CBI by stating that the process of investigation is hindered and delayed allowing the original culprits to escape. The court directed the CBI to replace the investigation officer to speed up the investigation by setting up a new SIT of 6 members and a deadline to conclude the investigation by 30 April 2023. Later again the Supreme Court of India has extended the deadline till 30 June 2023. There was a hearing of the Supreme court on the case on 22 April 2024.

In popular culture

In 2024, Reddy was portrayed in the film ''Vivekam''. '' Hathya'', a Telugu movie loosely based on his murder mystery investigation was released in 2025.

References

External links

Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, Y. S. Vivekananda Indian National Congress politicians from Andhra Pradesh 1951 births 2019 deaths Indian Anglicans India MPs 2004–2009 India MPs 1999–2004 Telugu politicians Lok Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh Sri Venkateswara University alumni People from Kadapa district YSR Congress Party politicians Deaths by stabbing in India