YS Jagan Alleges Democratic Erosion, Says 2029 Andhra Pradesh Polls Will Centre on Capital Issue
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday launched a broad attack on the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-Jana Sena Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition, accusing it of weakening democratic institutions, misusing administrative machinery and neglecting key sectors of the state. He also asserted that the 2029 Andhra Pradesh Assembly election would effectively become a contest over the state's capital policy, framing it as a choice between Visakhapatnam and Amaravati.
Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, Jagan alleged that the coalition government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was creating an atmosphere of fear rather than upholding the rule of law. He claimed people who question government decisions were being targeted and alleged that law and order had deteriorated across the state.
According to Jagan, ordinary citizens were increasingly reluctant to approach police stations due to fear. He further alleged that Andhra Pradesh's present situation had become worse than Bihar's in terms of governance, describing it as resembling "jungle raj." He also made political remarks directed at Chandrababu Naidu, accusing the Chief Minister of suppressing dissent and claiming that even former TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao would have faced similar treatment had he questioned the current leadership.
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Allegations over voter list revisions
A significant part of Jagan's criticism focused on the ongoing electoral roll revision process. He alleged that a mobile application linked to the Telugu Desam Party was being used in an attempt to remove the names of opposition supporters from voter lists.
He further claimed that officials had been instructed to complete field verification without properly distributing enumeration forms to eligible voters. According to Jagan, removing legitimate voters from electoral rolls could prevent beneficiaries from accessing welfare schemes and weaken their democratic rights. He alleged that such actions could ultimately deprive eligible citizens of their electoral identity.
The ruling coalition has not responded to these allegations in the remarks provided.
Questions raised over Krishna Lanka police station case
Jagan also referred to the recent controversy surrounding the Krishna Lanka Police Station in Vijayawada and questioned the handling of electronic evidence.
He alleged that a remand report stated CCTV footage from the police station had not been available for the past 18 months. While claiming local recordings may have been deleted, he questioned what had happened to footage that should have been stored through the Vijayawada Command Control Centre. He accused authorities of manipulating evidence within police stations to suit official interests.
No official response from the police regarding these specific allegations was included in his remarks.
Reiterates support for Visakhapatnam as executive capital
The former Chief Minister reiterated that he was not opposed to Amaravati or its farmers, stating that he continued to sympathise with those who had contributed land for the capital project.
However, he reaffirmed YSRCP's commitment to establishing Visakhapatnam as the state's executive capital, arguing that decentralised development would benefit the entire state while reducing opportunities for corruption.
Jagan said the next Assembly election would become a direct political contest over the capital issue. According to him, voters supporting Amaravati would back the TDP-led alliance, while those favouring Visakhapatnam as the executive capital would support the YSRCP. He said the election would ultimately determine which vision enjoys broader public support.
The debate over Andhra Pradesh's capital has remained a major political issue since the YSRCP government proposed a three-capital model after coming to power in 2019, while the current coalition government has backed Amaravati as the state's capital.
Criticism of beach policy and agriculture
Jagan also criticised the coalition government's policies relating to public spaces, alleging that beach shacks had altered the atmosphere at coastal destinations. He claimed beaches that were previously popular with families had become less suitable for family visits because of increased alcohol consumption around such establishments.
Turning to agriculture, Jagan accused the government of failing farmers involved in tobacco cultivation and aquaculture. He said producers were suffering due to the absence of remunerative prices and alleged that despite presenting three state budgets, the government had not allocated sufficient resources for effective price stabilisation measures.
Concluding his address, the YSRCP chief contrasted his administration's welfare-focused agenda with what he described as the current government's emphasis on implementing a "Red Book" approach and cited custodial deaths as another issue requiring public attention.
The ruling TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance has not issued a response to the allegations made by Jagan during the press conference.