YSR Congress Party leader and ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been subjected to increasing legal pressures as a second FIR has been registered against him in mere three days. These back-to-back cases have set off a hot political storm, with the YSRCP attacking the newly established TDP–Jana Sena–BJP coalition government for targetting their leader through politically motivated means.
The recent FIR was connected to Jagan’s February 2024 visit to the Guntur Mirchi Yard, where he met with chilli farmers and lashed out at the former TDP regime for not getting proper prices for their produce. Jagan called on the government to do more for farmers who were struggling with meager returns. But this visit has now been put into question for allegedly breaking the Model Code of Conduct, which was operative at the time of the Legislative Council polls.
Authorities claim that Jagan’s political speech at the government-managed market yard breached election regulations. Consequently, the case includes not only Jagan but also senior YSRCP figures such as former minister Ambati Rambabu, MLC Lella Appi Reddy, and former MP Modugula Venugopal Reddy. These leaders have been issued notices under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), summoning them for questioning at the Nallapadu Police Station.
This recent FIR follows closely after another case filed in Palnadu district, where a man named Singayya tragically died after reportedly being hit by a vehicle in Jagan’s convoy. Police have booked the case under BNS Sections 106(1), 105, and 49.
YSRCP has condemned the successive FIRs in strong terms, terming them as an attempt made in collusion to muzzle Jagan’s political activities and discourage him from reaching out to the people. Mr. Y.C. Devasena, a senior leader of the party, alleged that the ruling coalition of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is using state machinery for taking political vendetta.
With political tensions running high and legal battles raging on, Andhra Pradesh is preparing itself for a long battle of attrition between the ruling coalition and the opposition. The next steps of the SIT investigation and that of the judiciary will be followed with keen interest by all in this political drama unfolding.
