YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) SC Cell State President TJR Sudhakar Babu on Friday, 18 September 2026, alleged serious irregularities in teacher appointments under the sports quota in the Mega District Selection Committee (DSC) process and challenged Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh to an open public debate. The challenge sets a deadline of 21 September at the SAAP office for Lokesh to prove that only eligible candidates received appointments.

The Core Allegations

Sudhakar Babu raised pointed questions about the timeline of attestations in the sports quota process. He alleged that Kuna Ravi Kumar signed attestations as Softball Association president on 16 May, even though he was reportedly elected to that post only on 22 June — more than a month later. Separately, he alleged that participation certificates were attested before the DSC merit list was even released on 22 August.

The YSRCP leader demanded a formal inquiry into whether sports associations received the selection list in advance and then issued backdated certificates to favoured candidates. He also questioned how district-level players obtained Form-2 certificates that are designated for national-level athletic achievements, and how certificates were issued without accounting for candidates' ages.

Named Appointments Under Scrutiny

Sudhakar Babu specifically cited the appointments of G. Ruchitha, Lakshmi Devi, and Kolapalli Nagamalakshmi, alleging that relatives of softball association office-bearers secured teacher posts using participation certificates. He demanded independent verification of these appointments and called on the government to publicly disclose district-wise details of all sports quota appointments made under the Mega DSC.

He clarified that YSRCP does not seek to harm genuinely qualified candidates, adding that party leaders would arrive at the SAAP office on 21 September accompanied by affected aspirants and documentary evidence. If Lokesh cannot disprove the evidence, Sudhakar Babu demanded his resignation as Education Minister.

YSRCP Attacks TDP Over Andhra Drought

In a separate development at the YSRCP central office, former minister Sake Sailajanath accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government of causing what he termed a man-made drought in Andhra Pradesh through 'negligent and chaotic water management.' He coined the phrase 'Yellow Niño' — attributing the crisis not to El Niño but to the failures of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's administration.

Sailajanath alleged that Srisailam reservoir received 214.5 TMC of water against its full capacity of 215.8 TMC, yet no releases were made to irrigate distressed crops in Rayalaseema. He said the government delayed releases through Pothireddypadu — which can carry 40,000 cusecs — allowing Srisailam to fall to dead-storage levels. He further alleged that Gandikota and other Rayalaseema reservoirs are drying up while the government publishes what he called misleading 'water abundance' reports.

Farmers and Crop Losses

Sailajanath alleged that crops including groundnut, red gram, sweet lime, mango, and banana are withering across the region. He called the government's ₹190 crore horticulture relief announcement 'grossly inadequate' and demanded full compensation for farmers and tenant cultivators, immediate fodder distribution centres, and united pressure from Rayalaseema representatives. He also questioned Naidu's silence on Karnataka's Upper Bhadra project and Telangana's use of Srisailam water for power generation. YSRCP, he asserted, would continue its struggle until farmers received justice.

What Happens Next

All eyes are on 21 September, when YSRCP leaders plan to present documentary evidence at the SAAP office. Whether Minister Lokesh accepts or declines the debate challenge will shape the next phase of this political confrontation over the Mega DSC process and Andhra's mounting agrarian distress.