More than one year has passed since the 2024 general elections concluded in India. In the country as a whole, governments have established themselves in their five-year tenures, and political parties are concentrating on governance. The Constitution states that the next polls are not due until 2029 — almost four years from now. But in Andhra Pradesh, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) appears not to want to wait so long. Having suffered a serious setback in the last elections, the party is set to make a comeback into power earlier than expected.
Over the past few months, a few political leaders have suggested that Jamili Elections — simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies — are possible as early as 2027. Fuel to the rumor was added by senior YSRCP leader and former minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy’s recent assertion that early elections are on the cards.
Addressing a party meeting in Nandyal district on Sunday, where he was joined by district president Katam Rambhupal Reddy, Peddireddy instructed party workers to prepare for a 2027 face-off. He declared that the Central Government is actively engaged in organizing Jamili elections for February 2027, based on a private conversation with a Union Minister as his source of information.
Following YSRCP’s defeat in 2024, where the party was reduced to just 11 Assembly seats, there has been growing chatter within political circles about regrouping and preparing for a comeback. Peddireddy’s remarks seem to reflect that sentiment, as he rallied the cadre to stay focused and work with renewed determination.
Interestingly, while the Central Government had earlier initiated discussions and studies around the feasibility of Jamili elections, little tangible progress has been made so far. With key issues like constituency delimitation still unresolved, many analysts believe that early elections remain unlikely. Even within the YSRCP, several leaders have reportedly cooled their expectations around this idea.
But Peddireddy’s optimism has not diminished. Indicating that his faith in early polls has not shaken him, he has envisioned a strong objective for the future election: to limit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) — which is presently heading the ruling coalition — to single digits within the Assembly. Peddireddy’s passionate statements have created new political rumblings and infused fresh vigor in the party’s grassroot workers.
With 2027 being floated as a possible year for simultaneous elections, political strategies across Andhra Pradesh could start evolving sooner than expected. Whether or not Jamili elections materialise, one thing is clear — the YSRCP is not sitting back.