After much hesitation and indecision, YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has finally severed all ties with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), headed by Rishi Raj Singh.
The decision comes in the wake of I-PAC's failure to help the party regain power in the recent assembly elections.
Despite the YSRCP’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the Telugu Desam Party-led alliance, I-PAC continued its association with the party — thanks largely to Jagan’s lenient stance.
Reportedly, Rishi managed to extend his contract by leveraging his connections with Jagan’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) P Krishna Mohan Reddy, YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, and more importantly, Raj Kesireddy, with whom he is alleged to have had financial dealings.
Over the past few months, Jagan has been introspecting and analyzing the reasons behind the party’s electoral loss. According to sources, he identified I-PAC’s misleading tactics as a major contributing factor.
One such tactic, sources claim, involved Rishi Raj Singh planting negative stories about I-PAC’s campaign strategies in "yellow media" outlets by bribing journalists.
“Rishi knew Jagan would believe the opposite of what the yellow media reported. So, he used that perception to push his own campaign strategies,” said a source.
Additionally, Rishi is said to have partnered with Raj Kesireddy, who had a vested interest in expanding into political strategy ventures. The duo reportedly planned to extend their business operations to other states.
“It was Raj Kesireddy who regularly sent cash packets to major media houses supporting the TDP,” sources alleged.
Following the electoral setback, Jagan has reportedly realized how he was misled by I-PAC and some close aides.
“Once bitten, twice shy — Jagan is now working to distance himself from these individuals and is focused on building a more trustworthy team ahead of the next elections,” the sources added.
