Published Jul 28, 2026 | 10:24 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 28, 2026 | 10:24 AM
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (Supplied)
Synopsis: With Dharmendra Pradhan having to resign, the Opposition YSR Congress tried to weaponise what they claimed were alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in Andhra Pradesh. But two factors came in the way of their gaining the support of students and job aspirants.
Is the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress, flogging a non-issue?
Taking a cue from the students’ protest at Jantar Mantar that led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Education Minister, the YSR Congress is attempting to stir up a similar battle in Andhra Pradesh.
The party has intensified its campaign against Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh over alleged irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment process, particularly regarding the sports quota, but the issue has not evolved into a broader public movement.
YSRCP leaders have repeatedly accused the government of irregularities in the recruitment process and demanded Lokesh’s resignation.
However, the allegations have failed to evoke a strong response from job aspirants, students, or the general public. The campaign has lost steam even before it gained any momentum without triggering widespread protests or sustained public outrage. There has been no evidence of mass mobilisation on the issue.
The YSR Congress raised the issue of alleged irregularities some time ago but revived it soon after Pradhan’s resignation.
Senior YSRCP leader and former minister Botsa Satyanarayana demanded that Lokesh step down over the alleged irregularities in the DSC recruitment process. The party also attempted to amplify the issue through social media campaigns and public statements.
Despite these efforts, the campaign has struggled to gain traction, possibly due to a lack of compelling evidence capable of mobilising large sections of the public. Job aspirants and student groups, who would ordinarily be expected to lead such protests, have largely remained indifferent.
This could possibly be due to the government’s handling of the recruitment process, which had seen 16,347 posts being filled in 2025, coupled with their swift clarification of the allegations. This has prevented the issue from escalating into a larger political controversy, thereby denying an opportunity to the YSR Congress to repeat a Jantar Mantar in Andhra Pradesh.
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(Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
