Jagan Mohan Reddy Critiques Chandrababu Naidus Development Narrative in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress Party and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, criticized current Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday. Reddy accused Naidu of promoting a “glitzy development narrative” while the true economic situation reveals declining electricity demand, stagnant tax revenue, and rising unemployment.

In a post on the social media platform X, Reddy backed his claims with statistics. His remarks came during the ongoing CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, where Naidu’s government was busy signing multiple memoranda of understanding (MOUs).

Reddy stated, “During the TDP coalition government’s tenure, we witnessed unprecedented levels of corruption and chaos. The state government is attempting to obscure this by presenting a misleading narrative of rapid economic progress. However, the figures paint a clear picture of crisis.”

He pointed to the declining demand for electricity as a key indicator. According to the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), electricity sales by distribution companies in the fiscal year 2023-24 reached 71,722 million units (MU), while energy dispatch was at 79,758 MU. For the fiscal year 2025-26, these figures are projected to drop to 70,885 MU and 78,546 MU, respectively, indicating a reduction in electricity demand over the past two years.

Reddy remarked, “In any growing economy, one would expect a significant increase in electricity demand. This typically results from new industries coming in, existing industries operating at higher capacities, and increased purchasing power leading to higher household consumption. However, in Andhra Pradesh, we have seen a decline in electricity demand over the last two years, clearly highlighting an economic slowdown.”

He also noted that the stagnation of tax revenue reflects economic sluggishness. Reddy explained, “During the fiscal year 2023-24, the state’s own tax revenue was ₹85,922.36 crore. According to provisional figures released by the CAG for fiscal year 2025-26, the state’s own tax revenue stands at ₹86,552.65 crore. This indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 0.15 percent over two years, clearly showing a decline in consumption and investment.”

Furthermore, Reddy claimed that the economic downturn severely impacts employment. He pointed out that in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026-27, Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth among states for unemployment, rising to third place in the second quarter.

He concluded, “These figures clearly reflect the deteriorating situation in Andhra Pradesh, yet Chandrababu Naidu claims to have created 2.3 million jobs.”