Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was personally thanked by a couple from Korlagunta in the Nuzvid constituency at Gannavaram Airport on 25 September 2026, for the free brain surgery their daughter received under the YSR Aarogyasri scheme. The family's account highlights the continued emotional resonance of the scheme even after the YSRCP's electoral defeat.

The Family's Story

Mahesh and Vineela, accompanied by their daughter Dhansika, made a special trip to the airport solely to express their gratitude. According to the parents, Dhansika fell critically ill in 2019 when she was just two months old. Shortly after Jagan took office as Chief Minister, she underwent a critical brain neurosurgery free of cost under the YSR Aarogyasri scheme at Ashram Hospital in Eluru.

The parents said their daughter made a full recovery and has been growing up healthy ever since. 'We will never forget the help our family received,' they told Jagan at the airport. At the family's request, Jagan posed for a selfie with them. He warmly greeted Dhansika, enquired about her health, and encouraged her to study well before offering his blessings.

What Is YSR Aarogyasri

The YSR Aarogyasri scheme is a government-funded health insurance and cashless treatment programme in Andhra Pradesh designed to cover below-poverty-line and low-income families for major surgeries and critical illnesses at empanelled hospitals. It was significantly expanded during the YSRCP government's tenure between 2019 and 2024. The scheme has been credited with enabling thousands of families across the state to access tertiary care that would otherwise have been financially out of reach.

YSRCP's Attack on Police Recruitment

In a separate development on the same day, YSRCP spokesperson and former Member of Parliament Gorantla Madhav launched a sharp attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government over police recruitment. Speaking at the party's central office in Tadepalli, he accused the government of betraying unemployed youth.

Madhav pointed out that Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha had informed the Assembly that 20,000 Constable posts were vacant as of December 2023, yet the current government issued a notification for only 1,600 Police Constable posts. He demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's government explain the gap between the stated vacancy figure and the number of posts notified.

YSRCP's Record on Police Jobs Cited

Madhav stated that the previous YSRCP government had initiated recruitment for 6,511 police posts — comprising 6,100 Constables and 411 Sub-Inspectors — issued the relevant notification, and conducted preliminary examinations. Those recruits are currently undergoing training, he said, accusing the coalition government of appropriating credit by holding passing-out parades for a process it did not initiate.

He also raised the issue of age relaxation, recalling that Nara Lokesh had publicly demanded a five-year age relaxation for police applicants while in Opposition. The latest Constable notification, however, sets the general age limit at 18 to 23 years — without the promised relaxation — while the YSRCP government had granted a two-year relaxation during its tenure. Madhav further condemned what he described as the filing of cases against unemployed youth and YSRCP leaders who had protested over recruitment. He called on the government to protect peaceful protest, fill vacancies, insulate the police from political pressure, and create meaningful opportunities for young people in Andhra Pradesh.

The dual developments — a family's public gratitude for a life-saving scheme and a pointed political offensive over jobs — reflect the contested legacy of the YSRCP's years in power as it rebuilds its opposition identity ahead of future electoral contests.