The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which has long projected an image of fearlessness in the face of legal challenges, is now facing an unexpected storm. Despite party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy often asserting that cases don’t faze them—saying things like “let them file cases”—the party has been rattled by a sudden and sweeping police move. In a major development, police have registered cases against 113 party leaders, including former ministers, ex-MLAs, and constituency in-charges.
This legal recourse is connected to an accident that occurred on the 18th of June, when Jagan went to Rentapalla village in the Sattenapalli constituency of Guntur district. In the course of his visit, a party worker by the name of Singayya lost his life, allegedly after being run over by a vehicle from Jagan’s procession. Although the accident was already being investigated, the police now lodged new cases based on several violations.
As per the police, YSRCP leaders organized a rally without permission, defied official orders, and employed high-decibel DJ sound system that disrupted schools, hospitals, and residents. They have also been accused of destroying public as well as private property during the event. Included among those listed in the FIR are former ministers Vidudala Rajini and Ambati Rambabu, and former MLAs such as Namburu Shankar Rao, Bolla Brahma Naidu, Kasu Mahesh Reddy, Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy, Annabattuni Shravan Kumar, and Devineni Avinash.
The delay of the FIRs—filed almost 20 days after the incident—has caused huge speculation and political outrage. YSRCP leaders accused the police of political bias, terming the action as an outright case of vendetta politics. The Tadepalli leadership criticized the cases and stated that they would contest them in court.
This sudden legal offensive comes at a delicate time for the YSRCP, which is still dealing with the fallout from its electoral loss and internal dissatisfaction. With over a hundred leaders now facing charges, the party’s ground-level structure and leadership credibility are being put to the test. The coming weeks are likely to reveal whether this is a legitimate law enforcement response or a politically motivated crackdown.