YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Rentapalla village in Palnadu district on Wednesday — to console the family of party leader K Nagamalleshwara Rao, who died by suicide last year — has sparked debate in media and political circles: Did the visit benefit the YSRCP or backfire?
As expected, the YSRCP tried to stage a grand show along the route from Tadepalli to Rentapalla, aiming to project that Jagan still commands strong public support and remains a mass leader despite the party’s defeat in the last election.
Mobilizing crowds for a political leader’s rally is not unusual. Even the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) did the same while in opposition, often bringing thousands to Chandrababu Naidu’s meetings. However, in this case, Jagan was visiting the bereaved family of a deceased party leader.
Doing so a year later has already raised questions, but turning the visit into a show of strength made it even more controversial.
“Jagan could have gained significant goodwill had the visit remained a quiet, respectful condolence call. Instead, the massive cutouts, banners, placards, and sloganeering overshadowed the purpose of the visit,” said a political analyst.
To make matters worse, the fanfare — drumbeats, whistles, and trumpet sounds — was seen by many as inappropriate for a condolence visit.
What truly caused concern, however, were the provocative placards and slogans carried by YSRCP supporters.
Messages like “We shall hack you like sheep,” “We’ll chop your heads like we do goats at Gangamma Jatara when YSRCP returns in 2029,” “Raja Reddy’s Constitution will begin in Palnadu,” “Anna (Jagan) will come… we’ll see your end,” and “I’m declaring war — Jagan 2.0” created alarm.
Such language, especially in a faction-sensitive region like Palnadu, projected Jagan in a negative light. TDP leaders, who have long accused him of promoting factionalism, now find further ammunition to back their claims.
The display of violent imagery, threats, and charged slogans has fueled speculation that Jagan is trying to destabilize the state for political advantage—by provoking both the police and TDP supporters.
Analysts note that Jagan appears to be exporting the faction-driven, combative political culture — once largely confined to Rayalaseema — across the state.
His recent tours, they argue, come across more as revenge missions than public outreach, especially after the YSRCP's steep decline to just 11 assembly seats.
In the end, this aggressive display may have caused more harm than good for Jagan.
