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Jagan Mohan Reddy's Electoral Miscalculations: Anil Kumar Yadav's Narsaraopeta Setback

  • 19 Sep 2024 03:08 AM
  • Jagan Mohan Reddy, 2024 AP Elections, Anil Kumar Yadav, Lavu Krishna Devarayulu

One of Jagan Mohan Reddy's notable miscalculations during the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections was the inconsistent distribution of MLA and MP tickets under the guise of social engineering. A particularly glaring example occurred in the Narsaraopeta parliamentary elections, where Jagan's decision to send Nellore's Anil Kumar Yadav proved disastrous.

Following Lavu Krishna Devarayulu’s exit from the YCP to join the TDP, Jagan was determined to defeat him. In a bid to appeal to the sizeable BC community in Narsaraopeta, he opted to field Yadav, believing that a BC candidate would resonate better with voters. However, this strategy backfired spectacularly, as Devarayulu’s majority increased from 1.53 lakh votes in 2019 (when he ran on the YCP ticket) to 1.59 lakh votes in 2024 as the TDP candidate.

In light of this setback, Jagan appears to have reassessed his approach. Anil Kumar Yadav has been returned to his original constituency in Nellore, where he previously won in 2019 before being shifted to Narsaraopeta. He has been announced as a Nellore Corporation observer for the YCP, indicating a strategic retreat to a more favorable political landscape.

Despite this move, YCP faces significant challenges in Nellore, especially after the loss of influential figures like Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy and Anam Ramnarayana Reddy. The party’s prospects in the region could be tough going forward. Nevertheless, bringing Anil back to his constituency offers a glimmer of hope for the YCP amid these tumultuous electoral challenges.