Yelahanka Palace: How Bengaluru property became centre of Jagan-Sharmila feud

Once a symbol of family unity and the joint family tradition, the YS family’s Bengaluru residence, the Yelahanka Palace, has become the centre of a political feud between a brother and sister. Wealth has strained the bond between siblings, and people are asking how immense riches can lead to such a bitter fallout. So what makes this palace so special?

Wedding sparks family row

A short drive from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, in Yelahanka, lies a sprawling private estate popularly known as the “Yelahanka Palace”. It was built during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure as chief minister. Today, it has become a bone of contention, driving a wedge between his children. Here is how.

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Rajasekhara Reddy had two children, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Sharmila, both of whom have two children. Jagan’s two daughters are yet to be married and are studying in London. Sharmila, who has already married off her son, is now preparing for her daughter Anjali's wedding to Dr Somala Raghuram Reddy, a doctor settled in the US.

The wedding is scheduled for November 25, and the invitations have been printed, announcing that the ceremony will be held at the family residence in Yelahanka. But Jagan Mohan Reddy objected, saying, “This is my house”, and citing security and privacy concerns. He went further, declaring that even his own daughters, Harsha and Varsha, would not be married there. His remarks have stirred a storm, not just within the family but in state politics as well.

Inside Yelahanka Palace

The complex spans about 23 acres, very close to the airport, and its houses were built during YSR's tenure as chief minister. It has two main residences, one for Jagan and one for Sharmila, each occupying more than 10 acres. Besides a helipad, expansive gardens, fountains and staff quarters, the estate has much more to offer. An army of servants and surveillance systems capable of detecting even the slightest movement are reportedly in place.

Interestingly, YSR’s wife, Vijayamma, has no separate bungalow in the complex, which has only the two houses standing side by side. Information that has surfaced in the past describes it as a 40-room building, but there is no exact count of the rooms in each house, and floor plans are not publicly available.

As a wholly private residence, it rarely offers a glimpse of its interiors. A recent Diwali video, in which Jagan and his wife, Bharati, were seen bursting firecrackers, offered a rare glimpse of both the exterior and interior, hinting at the grandeur of the estate.

What is Yelahanka Palace worth?

According to media reports, the land alone is worth about ₹70 crore, while the cost of building the entire estate is estimated at up to ₹200 crore

Land prices in Yelahanka have risen sharply since then. By 2026, plots were selling for ₹4,000 to more than ₹11,000 per sq ft, suggesting that the 23 acres of land and buildings could now be worth more than ₹1,000 crore. This is only a rough estimate, as there is no precise valuation, and it covers only the land and buildings. The property’s political value, however, far exceeds its monetary worth.

A home steeped in family history

Sharmila’s family lived here for much of the time, and Anjali grew up in the house. It is now Jagan’s main residence. After his party's defeat in the 2024 election, he moved to Bengaluru, saying he had no security in Andhra Pradesh and no comfort even in Hyderabad. Yelahanka has since become the hub of the YSRCP’s day-to-day political strategy.

One of Bengaluru’s most private and heavily guarded family residences, the palace reveals very little about itself. Even so, its size, helipad and expansive grounds make it clear that this is no ordinary bungalow.

The siblings reportedly own similar homes in Hyderabad, Pulivendula and Idupulapaya, while Jagan also has a house in Tadepalli. At the Lotus Pond complex in Hyderabad, there are houses for all three, including Vijayamma, standing in a row, and Idupulapaya is laid out in much the same way. But the controversy now centres on the Yelahanka Palace.

Why the siblings are at odds

Now, to the heart of the row. Jagan and Sharmila have been at odds for some time. They are at daggers drawn and reportedly do not even want to see each other’s faces. There were reports that when Sharmila went to hand over the wedding invitation, Jagan avoided meeting her.

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Against this backdrop, a letter Jagan wrote on October 9 caused a sensation. “A wedding means many strangers coming in: decorators, catering staff, photographers, and videographers. All of them entering my house is a threat to security. This is my house. My family must be safe,” he wrote. He also suggested that she use the Lotus Pond house in Hyderabad. But Sharmila had already printed Yelahanka on the invitations, and Jagan’s camp has described the decision as “unilateral”.

Property feud turns political

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has not let the matter rest. He has called Jagan “Kansa Mama”, invoking the villainous maternal uncle from Hindu mythology. Naidu said that a man who would not lend his house for his sister’s daughter’s wedding had no family values, and accused Jagan of doing injustice to his mother and sister over property.

Whatever the truth, this is not merely a row over a wedding venue. The dispute has exposed the deep rift within a family whose Bengaluru residence once symbolised its unity.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Andhra Pradesh)