By The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has announced its decision to boycott the upcoming Andhra Pradesh Budget Session due to the denial of “Leader of Opposition” (LoP) status to their party leader, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The party has expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling government’s stance, claiming it undermines their role in the state’s legislative process. The boycott is a response to what they describe as a disregard for their rightful position as the opposition party【109†source】【110†source】.
Under assembly rules, a party must hold at least 10% of the total 175 seats to be formally recognized as the opposition. The YSRCP, with its diminished representation, falls short of this requirement.
Criticized the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has opted to boycott the Andhra Pradesh Assembly’s budget session, which commenced on November 11, 2024. Party leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy explained that the decision was made because their 11 MLAs would have no significant role in the proceedings.
He criticized the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for not granting the YSRCP the official opposition status, which he argued silences their participation in the assembly.
According to assembly rules, a party must hold at least 10% of the 175 total seats to be recognized as the opposition. With the YSRCP’s reduced representation, it does not meet this requirement. This has led to their decision to abstain from the session.
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed frustration over the NDA government’s refusal to grant official opposition status to the YSRCP, which has led the party to boycott the ongoing Andhra Pradesh budget session.
He emphasized that without recognition as the opposition, the party’s voice in the assembly was effectively silenced, with limited speaking time allocated to their MLAs. Reddy also pointed out the unsatisfactory environment in the current session, citing the upcoming Graduate MLC election as another reason for their absence.
YSRCP’s boycott is not the first instance
The YSRCP’s boycott is not the first instance of such a move. In December 2015, the party walked out after Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao denied further debate on the call money scandal and refused to lift the suspension of MLA R.K. Roja.
More recently, in 2021, N. Chandrababu Naidu, then leader of the opposition, vowed to boycott the assembly until he regained the position of Chief Minister, citing slander against his family by the ruling party.
Familiar political tool in Andhra Pradesh
Such boycotts are a familiar political tool in Andhra Pradesh, as noted by G. Rohit of the Human Rights Forum. Despite the dramatic vow by Naidu in 2021, his party members continued attending sessions, demonstrating the fluid nature of political tactics in the state.
What stands out about the YSRCP’s latest move is the rationale, Rohit pointed out. “Legislators are elected to represent their constituents, regardless of their party’s strength in the Assembly.
The DMK, despite winning only seven seats in the 1991 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, and the AIADMK, with just four seats in 1996, did not boycott. This makes the current YSRCP stance unprecedented and particularly unusual.”
Andhra Pradesh with 151 seats in 2019
The YSRCP, once a dominant force in Andhra Pradesh with 151 seats in 2019, now finds itself with just 11 MLAs. This budget session marks a significant shift for party leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, as he enters the assembly not as the chief minister or opposition leader, but as an ordinary MLA.
Speaker’s seat, traditionally reserved
His new position on the left side of the Speaker’s seat, traditionally reserved for backbenchers, symbolizes his fall from power. Given his political legacy, this demotion may be more humiliating than any ridicule from ruling party members.
Meanwhile, Jagan’s sister, Y.S. Sharmila, criticized the YSRCP’s stance, calling on the 11 party MLAs to resign if they lack the courage to attend the session. Her comments reflect ongoing tensions within the family, especially amid the ongoing property dispute between the siblings.
