YSR Congress party president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy seems to be having a tough time after facing the biggest humiliation in his political career with the 2024 assembly elections results in Andhra Pradesh. Once a formidable force, Jagan is now fighting for an Opposition Status in the state legislative sums up the current situation of his party.
Keeping aside the poll decimation, the biggest concern for Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party is the mass exodus of prominent leaders and supporters in the aftermath of the embarrassing results. Ever since losing power in June this year, the YSR Congress party has been witnessing a series of defections every now and then even as the party is struggling to take on the ruling government on multiple allegations and other issues.
All those whom Jagan believed to be his trusted lieutenants when he was in power have slowly started to shift their loyalties as the future of YSR Congress party looks uncertain and bleak given the resounding mandate handed over by the people of AP to the NDA coalition. A spate of former Ministers, MLAs and MPs have already bid good-bye to Jagan’s party and took shelter under TDP and Janasena immediately after the election results.
Among those who jumped fence from YSRCP include Mopidevi Venkataramana, Beeda Mastan Rao, Alla Nani, Kilari Rosaiah, Maddala Giri, Pendyam Dora Babu, Vasireddy Padma and many others. Hundreds of supporters in different cadres and positions across the state also defected into the NDA in the last six months.
It is quite surprising that YS Jagan didn’t even attempt to placate any of these disgruntled leaders and try to keep the flock together when the party is facing internal crisis. There is a talk within the party that Jagan has completely given up on desertions and decided not to pacify any leader who is not willing to stay with him during the crisis.
Jagan has already been maintaining distance with his mother and sister who have been waging a war against him over property disputes. Even his close friend and class mate Rajeev Krishna, who worked as an advisor in the last five years, decided to join hands with his political opponents. Many lower-rung leaders of ZPTC and MPTC segments also deserted the party to find solace in TDP and Janasena.
Besides these defections, prominent leaders like Kodali Nani, Vallabaneni Vamshi and Anil Kumar Yadav, who were staunch loyalists of Jagan, went into political obscurity after the elections, leaving him high and dry. The party is facing existential crisis in some of constituencies like Godavari districts as many leaders went into oblivion after the elections.
YS Jagan is now at a crucial juncture in his political journey. It will be a long road to recovery from the current turmoil for Jagan to make a comeback. He will first need to appease his cadre and arrest the mass defections.