YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to attend the Andhra Pradesh Assembly session for just few minutes and then boycott further proceedings over the denial of the Leader of the Opposition status is drawing criticism from within his own party.
While Jagan claims that the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government is facing growing public dissatisfaction, party insiders believe he has missed a golden opportunity to turn this situation in his favor by skipping the Assembly session.
Jagan’s delay in district tours is already causing frustration among party members, and they feel he should have attended the session, regardless of the Leader of the Opposition status.
"If the ruling party denied him an opportunity to speak, he could have used that to his advantage," a party leader remarked.
The public perception is that Jagan is more focused on securing the Leader of the Opposition status rather than exposing the failures of the Naidu government. By skipping Assembly sessions, he is missing a crucial opportunity to challenge the government and hold it accountable.
Jagan argues that he is not being allowed to speak, but party insiders believe that even if the ruling party blocked him or responded negatively, he could have turned the situation into a political advantage.
In the 2014 elections, when YSRCP won 67 seats, Jagan effectively played the role of Opposition Leader, making strong arguments in the Assembly. At the time, he gained public sympathy by highlighting how he was denied the chance to speak.
YSRCP leaders point out that Jagan has previously faced similar challenges in the Assembly and successfully turned them into political gains. His past popularity was largely driven by the perception that he was being politically suppressed—a narrative that senior party members are now reminding him of.
There is also criticism that by holding press conferences outside the Assembly instead of participating in debates inside, Jagan is failing to gain public sympathy.
Additionally, the fact that YSRCP MLAs also skipped budget discussions has raised concerns about the party’s approach and overall strategy.
