Spurned by Speaker, Jagan heads to High Court seeking Leader of Opposition status in Andhra Pradesh
YSRCP, which was in power in Andhra Pradesh before TDP won a majority in 2024, had secured just 11 seats out of the total 175. Its failure to secure at least 10% of the total seats meant that it was not automatically recognised as the Opposition party
2 min readHyderabadUpdated: Sep 24, 2025 06:42 PM IST
Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy stopped attending the Assembly proceedings in protest against it, while Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leaders have been regularly asking him and YSRCP MLAs to attend the House. (Source: FB)
YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has moved a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking a direction to the Legislative Assembly Speaker to grant him Leader of Opposition status.
The High Court issued notices to Speaker C Ayyanna Patrudu, Legislative Affairs Minister Payyavula Keshav, and Secretary General to the State Legislature S Prasanna Kumar to respond. The matter has been posted for October 4.
The Speaker, in reply to a letter by Jagan, had earlier ruled out granting opposition party status to YSRCP and the Leader of Opposition post to Jagan, citing the Constitution and Assembly rules that the party failed to secure at least 10% of the total Assembly seats.
YSRCP, which was in power in Andhra Pradesh before Naidu’s TDP won a majority in 2024, had secured just 11 seats out of the total 175. Its failure to secure at least 10% of the total seats meant that it was not automatically recognised as the Opposition party. YSRCP contended that the Speaker’s ruling was politically motivated and biased.
The YSRCP and Jagan have been demanding that the government recognise them as the Opposition since there is no other opposition party with any Assembly seats.
Jagan stopped attending the Assembly proceedings in protest against it, while Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leaders have been regularly asking him and YSRCP MLAs to attend the House. “Jagan and his MLAs should attend the House and participate in debates instead of spreading false propaganda about government schemes and alleged failures of the government. As per the rules, Opposition party status to YSRCP and to Jagan cannot be granted. The Speaker has made this very clear to Jagan in response to his letter,” Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav said.
YSRCP state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy demanded that the government first give them Opposition status.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
