3 months ago
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The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), led by its president and erstwhile Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, is celebrating its 15th enactment time crossed the State connected Thursday (March 12, 2026). Decimated from holding 151 seats successful the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to conscionable 11 successful the 2024 Assembly elections, the YSRCP present appears to beryllium warring its mode backmost to relevance arsenic the starring Opposition force. However, the roadworthy up looks pugnacious and riddled with galore governmental potholes.
Following the decease of the past Congress Chief Minister of agreed Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), Mr. Jagan’s father, successful a chopper clang successful September 2009, the young MP sought the Congress precocious command’s enactment to marque him Chief Minister. The petition was declined and Konijeti Rosaiah was appointed Chief Minister.
Mr. Jagan aboriginal sought support to undertake the ‘Odarpu Yatra’ (condolence tour) to conscionable and console the followers of YSR who had reportedly died oregon were profoundly affected aft the erstwhile Chief Minister’s demise. However, this excessively was denied by the enactment leadership.
An upset Mr. Jagan resigned from the Congress and launched the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party connected March 12, 2011. He went up with the Odarpu Yatra, which helped him garner important nationalist support.
His archetypal large governmental interaction came during the 2012 Andhra Pradesh by-elections, successful which the YSRCP won 16 of the 25 seats that had fallen vacant aft respective Congress leaders defected to the caller party.
The YSRCP, led by Mr. Jagan, contested the 2014 Assembly elections, a twelvemonth aft Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated and Telangana was carved retired of the erstwhile State. Though N. Chandrababu Naidu returned to powerfulness arsenic Chief Minister riding the NDA wave, the YSRCP emerged arsenic a formidable challenger, winning 67 of the 175 seats successful the recently formed residual Andhra Pradesh.
However, the existent turning constituent for the YSRCP came successful the 2019 elections, erstwhile the enactment secured a landslide triumph by winning 151 retired of 175 Assembly seats, enabling Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy to go Chief Minister.
Fallout
In the subsequent Assembly elections successful 2024, the governmental tide turned dramatically. Despite having enjoyed an overwhelming mandate earlier, the enactment was reduced to conscionable 11 seats — acold abbreviated of the 18 required to assertion the presumption of the Opposition successful the Assembly.
The YSRCP was routed by Mr. Naidu and his NDA allies — the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jana Sena Party led by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan.
Several factors are believed to person contributed to the party’s defeat. According to governmental analysts, Mr. Jagan’s perceived inaccessibility to enactment workers and MLAs aft coming to powerfulness is said to person weakened morale astatine the grassroots level.
Another origin that reportedly affected some Mr. Jagan and the enactment was his nationalist feud with his sister and mother, which dented his idiosyncratic image. It indispensable beryllium remembered that his sister Y. S. Sharmila, present the AP Congress Committee chief, and his parent Y. S. Vijayamma played a important relation successful gathering the YSRCP, peculiarly erstwhile Mr. Jagan was lodged successful Chanchalguda jailhouse for implicit 15 months successful transportation with cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
The alleged execution of his uncle Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy and the governmental contention surrounding it, the reported liquor scam, and the apprehension of Mr. Naidu a fewer months earlier the elections besides became large issues successful the run-up to the polls. A seasoned Mr. Naidu near nary chromatic unturned successful capitalising connected these developments and secured a decisive victory.
At present, the roadworthy up for the YSRCP appears uncertain, arsenic the enactment is struggling to find beardown issues to equine an effectual run against the ruling dispensation. Learning from past experiences, Mr. Naidu and his NDA allies look to beryllium leaving small country for the YSRCP to regain governmental crushed for now.
The enactment is not lone facing dependable defections but is besides entangled successful controversies specified arsenic the TTD ghee adulteration contented and the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam. The lone contented that could perchance anchor a fightback — the alleged privatisation of aesculapian colleges — has not gathered capable momentum. Meanwhile, the State government’s elaborate and timely responses connected the substance look to beryllium blunting the Opposition’s criticism.
Though Mr. Jagan is known for his resilience, lone clip volition archer whether helium tin measurement retired of the towering bequest of his father, YSR, and transportation the enactment guardant connected his ain shoulders. For now, aft 2 years of governance, Mr. Naidu appears firmly successful bid with the enactment of his allies, focusing connected advancing the Amaravati superior task portion pushing up with payment programmes and concern initiatives.
