Jagan elected YSRCP leader, stakes claim to form AP Govt

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, May 25

The Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Congress Party (YSRCP), which literally means youth, labour and farmer’s Congress Party, today unanimously elected YS Jaganmohan Reddy as its leader in the Andhra Vidhan Sabha, paving the way for him to become the Chief Minister of the state.

The decision, on expected lines, was taken by the YSRCP Legislative Party in its meeting earlier in the day at Vijayawada.

Soon afterwards, Jaganmohan met AP and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan at the Raj Bhawan in Hyderabad and staked claim to form the government. The YSRCP has got a thumping majority of 151 out of 175 Assembly seats, leaving 23 for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and one for Janasena Party (JP).

Party sources said that the swearing-in ceremony of Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Minister would take place around 12.23 pm on May 30 at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Vijayawada. The YSRCP chief will go to Delhi tomorrow to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will invite him for the swearing-in ceremony even though Modi’s own swearing-in is expected to take place the same day.

Jaganmohan also met Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao today and invited him for his oath ceremony.

Though the YSRCP is not aligned to the NDA or UPA, Jagan was actively supported by the TRS leadership to dislodge the TDP, resulting in a sweep in the Assembly and winning 22 out of the 25 parliamentary seats in the state.

Earlier, thanking the MLAs for reposing faith in his leadership, he said, “In 2019, people voted for us out of faith and belief. In 2024, they should give us a bigger mandate because of our performance.” In the YSRCP Legislative Party meeting, Jaganmohan Reddy stressed the need to work together to get a special status for Andhra Pradesh.