The YSR Congress secured 151 seats in the 2019 election. Under Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party ran an over-confident regime for five years.
In the next election, it was reduced to just eleven seats.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, the party ran an aggressive campaign. The slogan "Why Not 175?" was widely promoted. Andhra Pradesh Assembly has only 175 seats, and the party claimed it could win all of them.
Many in the public felt the slogan underestimated their judgement. The result was a crushing defeat, with the party ending up at eleven seats. It became one of the worst losses ever recorded by an opposition party in Andhra Pradesh.
Even the Congress party did not face such numbers during NTR's political wave. The defeat stood out for its scale and impact. Yet, the party appears to have moved on quickly.
Now looking ahead to 2029, YSR Congress has revised its target. The new slogan being discussed is "Why Not 200?" The shift has raised eyebrows across political circles.
Recently, Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy attended the birthday celebrations of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Tadepalli. During the event, he made bold claims about the future.
He stated that people would crown Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2029. He also said delimitation would increase the total seats to 225. According to him, YSR Congress would win 200 seats on its own.
Two years into the new government, the party is yet to reflect on its defeat. There is still no clarity on why it was reduced to eleven seats. Even securing opposition status required legal battles.
Recently, Ambati Rambabu claimed that alliance leaders do not understand the 2024 verdict. Such statements have drawn criticism for lacking introspection.
Without a proper review of the loss, the party appears to be moving straight to ambitious projections. The slogan "Why Not 200?" has become a talking point once again.
YSR Congress seems to believe Andhra Pradesh will follow the Tamil Nadu pattern of alternating governments. The assumption is that power will return automatically in 2029.
However, democracy often delivers unexpected verdicts. The 2024 election was one such example. It appears the party has not fully absorbed that lesson.