Elections in Andhra Pradesh

The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, by defeating regional and national parties in the 2019 parliamentary and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, has secured a massive mandate. Its victory in this multiparty contest can be attributed to the padayatra, consistency in the stand for special category status, promise to implement welfare schemes, and its effective campaign.

The author is thankful to K C Suri for comments and G Srinivas for supervision of the surveys mentioned in the article.

The 2019 parliamentary and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh (AP) were, essentially, a contest between regional parties such as the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Jana Sena Party (JSP) on the one hand, and the national parties like the Indian National Congress (INC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the other. However, the dissatisfaction against the ruling TDP, lack of leadership and an organisational structure in the JSP, state bifurcation by the INC, and denial of special category status (SCS) by the BJP have all resulted in the YSRCP’s coming to power and its creditable electoral performance.

AP includes the rich coastal Andhra, backward north coastal Andhra, and drought-affected Rayalaseema. Of AP’s population, 16.5% is constituted by the Scheduled Castes (SCs), 4.45% by the Scheduled Tribes (STs), 41% by the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 28.1% by upper castes, 8.5% by Muslims, and 1.55% by other minorities (Srikrishna Committee 2010: 403)^.