YSR Congress Party

After the sudden death of the then-incumbent Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) in a helicopter crash in September 2009,{{Cite news |date=2009-09-03 |title=Andhra Pradesh CM YSR Reddy dead in chopper crash |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/andhra-pradesh-cm-ysr-reddy-dead-in-chopper-crash/articleshow/4966888.cms |access-date=2024-05-15 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite news |date=2009-09-03 |title=Andhra Pradesh CM dead in chopper crash: PMO sources |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/andhra-pradesh-cm-dead-in-chopper-crash-pmo-sources/articleshow/4966949.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-05-15 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} his son, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the incumbent MP from Kadapa requested Sonia Gandhi to make him chief minister but party denied his request.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/jagan-is-the-most-corrupt-chief-minister-dl-ravindra-reddy/article66289031.ece|title=Jagan is the most corrupt Chief Minister |publisher=The Hindu |date=2022-12-22 |access-date=2024-07-14}} Just to fulfill Jagan's promise he started an Odarpu Yatra (condolence tour) across Andhra Pradesh, to console the families of those who committed suicide or died of shock after the death of his father.{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/national?cp-documentid=3202913|title=national - News - msn|website=www.msn.com}}{{Cite web |title=Odarpu Yatra {{!}} The Caravan |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/tag/odarpu-yatra |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=caravanmagazine.in}} The tour was not supported by the Congress leadership.{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/defiant-jagan-to-go-ahead-with-odarpu-yatra/articleshow/6393043.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=Defiant Jagan to go ahead with 'Odarpu' yatra - The Times of India| url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022224736/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Defiant-Jagan-to-go-ahead-with-Odarpu-yatra/articleshow/6393043.cms | archive-date=22 October 2010 }} Defying the Congress Working Committee's order to call off the tour, Jagan went ahead with the first leg of the "Odarpu Yatra" in the West Godavari and Khammam districts in April 2010.[https://archive.today/20130411033548/http://zeenews.india.com/election09/story.aspx?aid=640242 Unknown]

Meanwhile, Sakshi TV news channel and Sakshi newspaper, which are closely affiliated with YSR and Jagan, had been continuously criticizing the new Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah and the Congress leadership at New Delhi. In a special programme on Sakshi TV to mark the 125th-anniversary celebrations of the Congress party, a voice-over made remarks on Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the "current state of affairs" in the state, which invited anger and protests from the Congress loyalists and increased the gap and friction between Jagan and the Congress loyalists.[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/with-tv-attack-on-sonia-&-pm-jagan-signals/713930/ With TV attack on Sonia & PM, Jagan signals it’s time to go]. Indian Express (2010-11-21). Retrieved on 2011-10-20. The channel later omitted those remarks in a re-telecast.{{Cite news |date=2010-11-21 |title=Sakshi re-telecasts story on Cong deleting anti-Sonia remarks |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/Sakshi-re-telecasts-story-on-Cong-deleting-anti-Sonia-remarks/article15701071.ece |access-date=2024-05-31 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}

After accusing the Congress of ill-treating him and with a state ministerial slot in the aftermath of the death of his father, Jagan and his mother, Y. S. Vijayamma, resigned from the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies respectively and also as members of the Congress in November 2010.{{cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/jagan-quits-congress-to-float-ysr-congress_671102.html|title=Jagan quits Congress, to float 'YSR Congress'|date=30 November 2010|website=Zee News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043329/https://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/jagan-quits-congress-to-float-ysr-congress_671102.html|archive-date=6 March 2019}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20110226070058/http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/22/stories/2011022262250400.htm Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Jagan is national president of YSR Congress Party]. The Hindu (2011-02-22). Retrieved on 2011-10-20. Many Congress leaders loyal to Jagan also quit the party and joined the YSR Congress. This resulted in the weakening of Congress in both the assembly and Lok Sabha, necessitating by-elections.

Initially the party was setup by K. Shiva Kumar a fan of YSR. After the rift with congress Y. S. Jagan acquired YSRCP and took complete responsibilities from Shiva Kumar., and later, after few years, Jagan expelled the party founder and took the complete control of the party.{{cite web | url=https://www.telugu360.com/jagan-expels-ycp-founder-from-party-ec-issues-notice/ | title=Jagan expels YCP founder from party – EC issues notice | website=www.telugu360.com}}

==Electoral performance==

In the ensuing by-elections, after the formation of the party, it won most of the vacated seats with many of the Indian National Congress (governing party) and the Telugu Desam Party (the main opposition) candidates losing their deposits.[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article921291.ece "News /National: Jagan quits Congress, Kadapa Lok Sabha seat"]. The Hindu (2010-11-29). Retrieved on 2011-10-20. In March 2012, YSR Congress won the Kovur Assembly seat in Nellore district in a by-election.{{Cite web |title=IndiaVotes AC Bye Election: Kovur 2012 |url=https://www.indiavotes.com/ac/byeDetail/www.indiavotes.com/ac/byeDetail/42 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=IndiaVotes}}{{Cite web |title=List of Candidates in KOVUR: BYE ELECTION ON 18-03-2012: NELLORE Andhra Pradesh Bye Election |url=https://myneta.info/apbye/index.php?action=show_candidates&constituency_id=4 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=myneta.info}}

In 2012 by-polls were held for 18 assembly constituencies which are: Parkal, Narsannapeta, Payakaraopet, Ramachandrapuram, Narasapuram, Polavaram (ST), Prathipadu (SC), Macherla, Ongole, Udayagiri, Rajampet, Kodur (SC), Rayachoti, Allagadda, Yemmiganur, Rayadurg, Anantapur Urban and Tirupati.{{cite news |last1=NDTV |title=Andhra Pradesh By-polls 2012 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/south/andhra-pradesh-by-polls-2012-732126 |access-date=14 April 2024 |date=15 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414100400/https://www.ndtv.com/south/andhra-pradesh-by-polls-2012-732126 |archive-date=14 April 2024}}

On 15 June 2012, YSR Congress won the Nellore Lok Sabha seat and 15 of 18 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.{{Cite web |last=Pilla |first=Yogendra Kalavalapalli & Viswanath |date=2012-06-15 |title=YSR Cong wins 15 of 18 assembly seats, lone Lok Sabha seat in AP |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/hnmlt2gSJqdUXanSs76AXK/YSR-Cong-wins-15-of-18-assembly-seats-lone-Lok-Sabha-seat-i.html |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=mint |language=en}} YSRCP leaders P. Subhash Chandra Bose from Ramachandrapuram of East Godavari district and Konda Surekha from Parkal of Warangal district, both Ministers in the YSR cabinet, had switched to YSR Congress party but lost their races.{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jagans-YSR-Congress-wins-Nellore-Lok-Sabha-14-assembly-seats/articleshow/14147764.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616203118/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jagans-YSR-Congress-wins-Nellore-Lok-Sabha-14-assembly-seats/articleshow/14147764.cms | url-status=dead | archive-date=16 June 2012 | title=Jagan's YSR Congress wins Nellore Lok Sabha, 15 assembly seats| date=15 June 2012 | work=The Times Of India}}

It lost the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election to the Telugu Desam Party, which had previously been in opposition to the INC government. One-third of the MLAs who won for the YSR Congress in the 2014 Elections had joined the Telugu Desam Party by 2017.{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=Anti-defection Law Ignored as MLAs Jump Ship to TDP, TRS in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana|work=News18|url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/anti-defection-law-ignored-as-mlas-defect-to-tdp-trs-in-andhra-pradesh-and-telangana-1591319.html|url-status=live|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119152743/https://www.news18.com/news/politics/anti-defection-law-ignored-as-mlas-defect-to-tdp-trs-in-andhra-pradesh-and-telangana-1591319.html|archive-date=19 January 2021}}

It went for 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election in 2019 emerged as the 5th largest political party in India. It did not contest in 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ysrcp-not-contest-telangana-elections-pawan-kalyan-still-undecided-91384|title = YSRCP not to contest in Telangana elections, Pawan Kalyan still undecided|date = 11 November 2018}}

The party won the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election in a landslide, winning 151 of the 175 seats,{{Cite web |title=List of Winners:Andhra Pradesh 2019 Election |url=https://www.myneta.info/andhrapradesh2019/index.php?action=show_winners&sort=default |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=www.myneta.info}}{{Cite web |title=AP Election Results: Election Results of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Election {{!}} Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/andhra-pradesh/results |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}{{Cite web |title=Assembly Election Results 2019 of Andhra Pradesh, Vidhan Sabha Election Results 2019 AP State |url=https://www.indiastatelections.com/andhra-pradesh/pastelection-assembly-vidhan-sabha-constituency-elections |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=www.indiastatelections.com}} including a clean sweep in Vizianagaram Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore districts. It has been in government since 30 May 2019 and currently, in addition to having 151 members in the 175-member state assembly, the party has 22 members in the Lok Sabha (out of 25 in AP) based on the election results declared on 23 May 2019.

The party lost the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election to the NDA alliance, securing only 11 out of 175 seats in the state legislative assembly even failing to secure the opposition status as the party didn't secure at least 10% seats.

In 2022, the Election Commission of India (ECI) sought clarification from the YSR Congress Party regarding the reports announcing Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as the permanent president of the party. The ECI expressed its displeasure and concern over this potential adoption by the party, citing it as an anti-democratic move.{{Cite news |date=2022-09-21 |title=EC orders YSRCP to clarify reports that Jagan Reddy made its life-time permanent president |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ec-orders-ysrcp-to-clarify-reports-that-jagan-reddy-made-its-life-time-permanent-president/articleshow/94356773.cms |access-date=2023-06-14 |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite web |date=2022-09-21 |title=Election Commission Asks YSRCP To Clear Air On Jagan Reddy Being Made Its 'Permanent President' |url=https://news.abplive.com/andhra-pradesh/eci-asks-ysrcp-to-clear-air-on-jagan-reddy-made-its-permanent-president-says-report-has-potential-to-create-confusion-1554571 |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=news.abplive.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Now {{!}} |first=Mirror |date=2022-09-22 |title=ECI slams YSRCP, rejects attempt to make Jagan Mohan Reddy as party's permanent president |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/eci-slams-ysrcp-rejects-attempt-to-make-jagan-mohan-reddy-as-partys-permanent-president/videoshow/94358139.cms |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=The Economic Times |language=en}}

{{further|List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh}}

{{Further|List of deputy chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh}}

• List of political parties in India
• List of Indian National Congress breakaway parties
• Telugu Desam Party
• Janasena Party

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.ysrcongress.com/}}

{{Indian political parties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:YSR Congress Party}}

Category:Political parties in Andhra Pradesh

Category:Indian National Congress breakaway groups

Category:2011 establishments in Andhra Pradesh

Category:Political parties established in 2011