YS Jagan Mohan Reddy recently suffered a significant defeat in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections securing only eleven out of 175 seats. The Chandrababu Naidu government is taking advantage of this situation by highlighting various allegations against Jagan particularly focusing on the construction of palatial properties like the Rushikonda Palace.
Jagan’s popularity has plummeted since the election, reaching alarmingly low levels. His media outlet, Sakshiis also facing severe challenges. For the past five years, many of Sakshi’s high-paid employees were on the government payroll and the company benefited greatly from government advertisements. This created a substantial surplus for Sakshi. However, with the recent political shift, these employees are being removed from the government payroll meaning Sakshi now has to bear their salaries.
Additionally, there is a significant anticipated drop in Sakshi’s circulation. During Jagan’s tenure, the government provided a monthly allowance of Rs 200 to 3.78 lakh employees and volunteers working in local secretariats to subscribe to a newspaper unofficially directing them to choose Sakshi. This arrangement generated approximately Rs 90 crore in annual revenue for Sakshi. This subsidy boosted the newspaper’s circulation artificially. Eenadu, a competing newspaper has been challenging this policy in the Delhi High Court for the past two years.
With the new government stopping this allowance Sakshi stands to lose these 3.78 lakh subscriptions. The newspaper’s primary readership consists of Jagan’s party supporters who are currently disheartened and losing interest in politics likely leading to further declines in circulation.
The future looks challenging for Sakshi as it will have to navigate financial difficulties without the government’s backing and cope with a diminishing readership base. The newspaper’s ability to sustain itself and retain its audience will be tested in the coming years as it adjusts to these new realities.
