Jagan Mohan Reddy questions Naidu's claims of 23 lakh jobs

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, president of the YSR Congress Party and former Chief Minister, has raised questions over the claims of rapid economic growth and job creation made by the coalition government led by Chandrababu Naidu. According to a report by The Hindu, Jagan Mohan Reddy has alleged that economic activities in Andhra Pradesh have slowed down, citing figures for power demand, state tax revenue, and unemployment.

In a post on the social media platform X, Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the government is exaggerating development, while economic indicators point towards slow industrial activity, weak consumption, and insufficient employment opportunities. Referring to data from the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), he said that electricity sales by distribution companies decreased from 71,722 million units (MU) in 2023-24 to 70,885 MU in 2025-26. During the same period, energy dispatch also decreased from 79,758 MU to 78,546 MU.

Jagan Mohan Reddy argued that with increasing economic growth, industrial expansion, high capacity utilisation, and rising household consumption, electricity demand should generally increase. He stated that this decline in electricity demand indicates sluggish economic activity. Additionally, quoting CAG figures, he mentioned the state's tax revenue. The state's tax revenue increased from ₹85,922.36 crore in 2023-24 to a provisional ₹86,552.65 crore in 2025-26. He calculated the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for these two years to be only 0.15% and held weak consumption and investment responsible for this situation.

On the issue of employment, Jagan Mohan Reddy questioned Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's claim of providing 23 lakh jobs in the state. He claimed that Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth among the country's states in unemployment in the first quarter of 2026-27 and third in the second quarter. He further added that the government's claims of development are not reflected in these economic indicators.

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the founding leader of the YSR Congress Party. He previously served as the Chief Minister of the state.