YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is definitely a leader with a significant following among the masses. However, many things went wrong within his party. Let us discuss point by point what has been happening during the last four years of his rule.
No Media Backup:
There has been no media interaction since the beginning of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule. The party has relied on Sakshi media to cover news, but this is not enough. The media supporting the opposition party is wider and stronger, and Jagan Mohan Reddy failed to build his own media network to provide the right counters at the right time. Although there has been a lot of work done towards the development of the state through investments, this has not been publicized enough. A large section of voters still believes that the state has achieved nothing in the last four years on the development side. Moreover, Jagan Mohan Reddy has relied only on his party members like Kodali Nani, Perni Nani, and Ambati Rambabu to give counters, instead of building a strong media backup. The opposition media has been sounding louder than the ruling party's, even though a lot of budget has been allocated for media interactions by the party.
No Power of Lobbying:
Jagan Mohan Reddy is too poor in lobbying. He failed to learn the importance of lobbying with the leaders at the center and with the legal system. As a result, Jagan Mohan Reddy failed to give a clear impression that he is a powerful leader of his cadre as well, along with being the man of the masses.
No Strong Legal Team:
The legal system is an important part of any government or organization. It plays a crucial role in upholding the law and protecting the rights of citizens. A strong legal team is essential for any company, firm, or political party, as it ensures that they are able to navigate the legal system effectively and protect their interests.
In the case of Jagan Mohan Reddy's party, there have been several instances where the party has faced legal challenges, and unfortunately, many of these cases have been lost to the opponents. This has created a negative perception of Jagan Mohan Reddy's leadership, as it has made him appear weaker in comparison to his opponents who have been able to successfully defend their cases in court.
Bad Coterie:
Jagan Mohan Reddy has a bad coterie around him. They are "bad" because almost none of them is ready to work for the benefit of Jagan Mohan Reddy. They are there only to work for their own benefit. Jagan may need to check the people around him in his own way. Right now, there is no one to encourage and welcome a new entrant into the party, and there is no one to stop someone from leaving the party. There is no symphony and synergy among the leaders and the cadre. Everyone is working for their own selfishness, but not for the party. Jagan Mohan Reddy's blind faith in the people around him is the culprit here.
No Powerful Social Media:
In the 2019 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, social media played a crucial role in helping YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), to secure a landslide victory. Many volunteers and supporters from different corners of the state actively participated in social media campaigns to promote the party's message and criticize opponents. These supporters worked tirelessly to create engaging content and spread it across social media platforms to attract more voters towards YSRCP.
The YSRCP's social media campaign was so strong that it was regarded as the most potent social media campaign in India at that time. The party's social media team effectively utilized various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp to reach out to people at the grassroots level. They created innovative content such as memes, videos, and images to make the campaign more engaging and relatable for people of all ages.
However, after coming to power, Jagan Mohan Reddy's team failed to recognize the contributions made by these social media volunteers. Many of them were left unacknowledged and ignored, and their efforts were not appreciated. The party's selfish leaders, who were interested only in their personal growth, started to suppress the social media army to prevent them from gaining too much influence within the party.
As a result, the YSRCP lost its social media dominance, and the social media army that helped them win the election was killed. Today, the party's social media presence is not as strong as it used to be.
In short, all the resources that aided Jagan Mohan Reddy in triumphing in the 2019 elections have vanished. It remains to be seen whether he will retrieve and fortify those resources or proceed into battle unarmed, relying solely on his voters, the beneficiaries of welfare schemes.
Usha Chowdhary