Jagan questions Naidu’s 23-lakh jobs claim, cites power demand and tax revenue figures

YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has questioned the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government's claims of rapid economic growth and employment generation, citing power demand, State tax revenue and unemployment figures to allege a slowdown in Andhra Pradesh.

In a post on X, Mr. Jagan alleged that the government was projecting an exaggerated growth narrative while economic indicators pointed to sluggish industrial activity, weak consumption and inadequate employment opportunities.

Referring to AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) figures, he said power sales by distribution companies declined from 71,722 million units (MU) in 2023-24 to 70,885 MU in 2025-26. Energy dispatch also fell from 79,758 MU to 78,546 MU during the same period.

He argued that electricity demand should normally increase with industrial expansion, higher capacity utilisation and rising household consumption in a growing economy. The decline, he said, indicated sluggish economic activity.

Mr. Jagan also cited the State's own tax revenues, which increased marginally from ₹85,922.36 crore in 2023-24 to a provisional ₹86,552.65 crore in 2025-26, according to CAG figures. He put the two-year compound annual growth rate at 0.15% and attributed the trend to weak consumption and investment.

On employment, he claimed that Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth among States in unemployment in the first quarter and third in the second quarter of 2026-27. He questioned Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's claim of generating 23 lakh jobs in the State.

Mr. Jagan alleged that the government's growth claims were not reflected in these economic indicators.