The YSR Congress faced a devastating defeat in the recent Andhra Pradesh elections. From holding 151 seats in the previous Assembly, the party’s representation was slashed to just eleven seats. This significant loss is a hard pill to swallow for Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party leader who has already started speculating about reasons like EVM manipulation to explain the defeat.
Understanding the reasons behind this electoral debacle is challenging. Analyzing the voting patterns among different sections of society doesn’t provide clear answers. It seems that the party lost support across various communities which is unusual. Historically, the Reddy community, a loyal supporter of the YSR Congress also turned its back on the party this time.
The Reddy community which makes up about 3.5% of Andhra Pradesh’s population had a prominent representation among YSR Congress candidates. They were given 49 out of 175 Assembly seats making up around 28% of the total seats. When excluding the 29 SC reserved seats and 7 ST reserved seats, the percentage rises to over 35%. In Rayalaseema, the figures are even more startling. Out of 52 constituencies, the Reddy community was allocated 33 seats, which is 63.4% of the total. Excluding the nine SC reserved seats in Rayalaseema this figure jumps to 75%.
In Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home district of Kadapa, Reddy candidates secured five out of seven general seats. Despite this, the election results were disappointing for the community. Only six Reddy candidates from the YSR Congress won, including Jagan himself. Jagan’s constituency, Pulivendula has the highest concentration of Reddys in the state. Anaparthi, another region with a significant Reddy population saw a BJP candidate defeating the YSR Congress highlighting the community’s shift away from the party.
Take a look at how much the push buttons in the bathroom cost.
Rs 1,25,000 !!#Jagan and his loot pic.twitter.com/dqdJExJyT5
— KLAPBOARD (@klapboardpost) June 16, 2024
Among the remaining five victorious Reddy candidates none won by a significant margin. Three won by less than 6,000 votes and Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy narrowly avoided defeat by just 6,000 votes. Two others won with a meager margin of about 2,000 votes. This indicates a significant shift in the Reddy community’s political alignment as they absorbed anti-incumbency sentiments disregarding their usual loyalty to the YSR Congress.
Various factors contributed to this shift. The Reddy community typically affluent and influential felt neglected by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s administration. Many wealthy Reddys, who usually support the YSR Congress, were disillusioned as their financial interests, particularly in terms of contracts and unpaid bills were not addressed. Jagan’s election slogan “Na SClu, Na STlu, Na Minoritylu” also alienated the Reddy community. Additionally, the land titling act negatively impacted them pushing them to vote against the YSR Congress.
For the first time, the Reddy community found reasons to vote against Jagan reflecting broader discontent with his governance. This is surprising given their support for him even in the 2014 elections despite a loss. This desertion had a significant impact on the YSR Congress’s performance in Rayalaseema, where the party won just seven out of 52 seats.
This election serves as a crucial lesson for Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Reddy community’s vote is no longer guaranteed signaling a need for introspection and change within the YSR Congress.
