Jagan's social engineering misstep? Except Peddireddy, no YSRCP minister won

Amaravati: Except for Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, none of the ministers in the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Cabinet registered a victory in the 2024 Assembly elections announced on June 4 (Tuesday).

Even for Ramachandra Reddy, it was a close call as he managed to defeat his opponent TDP candidate Challa Ramachandra Reddy in Punganur with a margin of only 6,095 votes!

Of the total 25 Cabinet ministers, including five deputy chief ministers, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, who served as the minister of Energy, Forest, Environment, Science and Technology, Mines and Geology, is the only one who won.

The rest were defeated by wide margins despite a tough fight in their Assembly Constituencies (ACs).

What is the social engineering formula of YS Jagan?

Anticipating the YSRCP’s victory in the 2024 Assembly elections, YS Jagan even shifted the ministers to other constituencies as part of a social engineering initiative.

However, Jagan’s political strategy went wrong for the 2024 polls.

As per YSRCP’s strategy of social engineering, he has reserved 50 per cent of the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats for these communities.

The backward and oppressed groups occupied 80 per cent of the elected and nominated positions, including Assembly Speaker, Council Chairman, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, ZPTC members to ZP chairman, MPTC members to Mandal Presidents, and ward members to sarpanches.

Minister for Labour Gummanur Jayaram who was elected as an MLA from the YSRCP in the Alur Assembly constituency in the 2019 elections changed his loyalties to the TDP before the elections. The YSRCP leadership denied him a ticket and gave a chance to B Virupakshi as part of the social engineering initiative.

However, the YSRCP leadership offered him to contest as an MP from the Kurnool Lok Sabha seat. Jayaram denied it and joined the TDP.

He contested on behalf of the TDP in Guntakal and defeated YSRCP candidate Y Venkata Rama Reddy with a majority of 6,826 votes. Jagan’s social engineering initiative went well in Alur as the YSRCP candidate Virupakshi defeated the TDP candidate with a majority of 2,831 votes.

Virupakshi is one of the 11 MLAs won by the YSRCP in the 2024 elections.

Botcha, Buggana, Roja, Ambati, Rajini all are defeated

In Cheepurapalle four-time MLA and minister for Education from the YSRCP Botcha Satyanarayana was defeated by TDP candidate Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao with a margin of 11,971 votes.

Even minister for Tourism RK Roja – a major supporter of YS Jagan who has been publicly vocal in lashing out at his opponents – was defeated by TDP candidate Gali Bhanu Prakash with a majority of 45,004 votes.

Another YSRCP candidate and minister for Finance Buggana Rajendranath Reddy was defeated by TDP candidate Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy with a majority of 6,049 votes.

Minister for IT, Gudivada Amarnath was defeated by TDP candidate Palla Srinivas Rao with a majority of 95,235 votes, the highest in the state. In the 2019 elections, Amarnath contested from Anakapalli and was elected as an MLA.

Minister for Health Vidadala Rajini, who contested from Guntur West, was defeated by TDP candidate Galla Madhavi with a majority of 51,150 votes. In the 2019 elections, Rajini contested from Chilakaluripeta and was elected as an MLA.

In Sattenapalli, minister for Irrigation Ambati Rambabu was defeated by TDP leader and former minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana with a majority of 27,836 votes. In Kondapi, minister for Municipal Administration Adimulapu Suresh was defeated by TDP candidate Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swami with a majority of 24,756 votes.

In the 2019 elections, Suresh contested from Yerragondapalem and was elected as an MLA.

In Tuni, TDP candidate Yanamala Divya defeated minister of Roads and Buildings Dadisetti Raja with a majority of 15,177 votes.

Minister for Revenue Dharmana Prasada Rao was defeated by TDP candidate Gondu Shankar with a majority of 52,521 votes in Srikakulam. In Palasa, minister for Animal Husbandry Seediri Appalaraju was defeated by TDP candidate Gouthu Sireesha with a margin of 40,350 votes.

In Sarvepalli, Minister for Agriculture Kakani Govardhan Reddy was defeated by TDP candidate Somireddy Chandra Mohan Reddy with a majority of 16,288 votes. Six-time TDP MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary defeated BC Welfare Minister and current Ramachandrapuram MLA Ch Venu Gopala Krishna in Rajamahendravaram Rural with a majority of 64,090 votes. In the 2019 elections, Venu Gopal contested from Ramachandrapuram and was elected as an MLA.

In Gopalapuram, TDP’s Maddipatti Vankata Raju defeated home minister Taneti Vanita with a majority of 26,784.

Vanita was moved to Gopalapuram from her hometown of Kovvur as part of the social engineering initiative by the YSRCP. In Amalapuram, Social Welfare minister Pinipe Viswaroop lost to TDP’s Aithabathula Ananada Rao who secured a majority of 38,628 votes.

Minister for Civil Supplies Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao was defeated by TDP candidate A Radha Krishna with a majority of 72,121 votes in Tanuku.

On the other hand, minister for Housing Jogi Ramesh was defeated by TDP candidate Bode Prasad with a majority of 59,915 votes in Penamaluru. In the 2019 elections, Jogi Ramesh contested from Pedana and was elected as an MLA.

In Santhanuthalapadu, minister for Social Welfare Merugu Nagarjuna was defeated by TDP candidate Vijay Kumar BN with a majority of 30,385 votes. In the 2019 elections, Nagarjuna contested from Vemuru and was elected as an MLA.

In Kalyandurg, minister for Women and Child Welfare KV Usha Sri Charan was defeated by TDP candidate S Savitha with a majority of 33,388 votes. In the 2019 elections, Usha Sri Charan contested from Kalyandurg and was elected as an MLA.

Five deputy chief ministers defeated

In the 2024 elections, deputy chief minister and minister for Panchayat Raj Budi Mutyala Naidu contested as an MP from Anakapalli, instead of contesting as an MLA from his home turf Madugula. He was defeated by BJP MP candidate CM Ramesh with a margin of 2,96,350 votes.

In Gangadhara Nellore, deputy chief minister and minister for Excise K Narayana Swamy was defeated by TDP candidate Dr VM Thomas with a margin of 26,011 votes.

Similarly, deputy chief minister and Minister for Endowments Kottu Satyanarayana was defeated by Jana Sena Party (JSP) candidate Bolisetty Srinivas with a margin of 62,492 votes in Tadepalligudem.

In Salur, deputy chief minister Peedika Rajanna Dora was defeated by the TDP candidate Gummadi Sandhya Rani with a margin of 13,733 votes. Another deputy chief minister and minister for Minority Welfare Amzath Basha Shaik Bepari was defeated by TDP candidate Reddappagari Madhavi in Kadapa with a majority of 18,860 votes.