Jagan challenges Naidu's growth claims with power, tax and jobs data
Synopsis
Jagan Mohan Reddy did not just attack Chandrababu Naidu at a press conference — he picked the precise moment of the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam to post APERC power data, CAG tax figures, and national unemployment rankings, arguing that each metric contradicts the state's investor-pitch narrative. The move reframes the opposition's attack from political grievance to statistical rebuttal.
Key Takeaways
Jagan Mohan Reddy posted a data-based challenge to Chandrababu Naidu 's economic record on X on 12 November 2026 .
APERC data shows Andhra Pradesh power sales fell from 71,722 MU in FY 2023-24 to 70,885 MU in FY 2025-26 .
State own-tax revenues grew at a CAGR of just 0.15% over two years, from ₹85,922.36 crore to ₹86,552.65 crore , per provisional CAG figures.
Andhra Pradesh ranked third among states in unemployment in Q2 FY 2026-27 , up from fourth in Q1.
The critique was timed to coincide with the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam , where the Naidu government was signing MoUs.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday, 12 November 2026, mounted a data-driven challenge to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's economic record, alleging that falling power demand, stagnant tax revenues, and rising unemployment paint a starkly different picture from the 'glitzy growth narrative' the state government is projecting.
The X Post and Its Timing
Jagan Mohan Reddy posted his critique on X (formerly Twitter), citing official statistics to back his claims. The post arrived at a pointed moment — as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit unfolded in Visakhapatnam, where the Naidu-led government was actively signing Memoranda of Understanding with investors. 'What we have been witnessing during the period of the TDP alliance Government is unprecedented levels of corruption and lawlessness, which the State Government attempts to conceal by putting forth a misleading narrative of rapid economic progress. However, the statistics present a very unambiguous picture of distress,' Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote.
Power Demand: A Key Indicator
The former Chief Minister pointed to data from the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) to argue that energy consumption — widely regarded as a proxy for industrial and household economic activity — has contracted rather than grown. According to APERC orders, power sales by DISCOMs stood at 71,722 Million Units (MU) in FY 2023-24, with energy dispatch at 79,758 MU. By FY 2025-26, these figures had declined to 70,885 MU and 78,546 MU respectively — a reduction over two years. 'In any growing economy, the power demand is expected to increase at a healthy pace owing to power requirements of new industries added, increased capacity utilisation of the existing industries and of higher consumption by households due to their enhanced purchasing power. But in Andhra Pradesh, over the last two years we witnessed a reduction in power demand, clearly exposing the sluggishness in the economy,' he posted.
Tax Revenue Growth Near Flat
On fiscal health, Jagan Mohan Reddy cited provisional figures from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to highlight near-stagnant own-tax revenue growth. The state's own tax revenues were ₹85,922.36 crore in FY 2023-24; provisional figures for FY 2025-26 place them at ₹86,552.65 crore — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 0.15% over two years. He argued this 'clearly evidences fall in consumption and investment over the last two years.'
Unemployment Rankings Cited
On employment, the YSRCP chief claimed that Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth among all Indian states in unemployment in the first quarter of FY 2026-27 and climbed to third in the second quarter — a deteriorating trend, according to him. He took direct aim at the state government's headline figure: 'These figures clearly indicate the worsening situation in Andhra Pradesh, yet Chandrababu Naidu boasts of generating 23 lakh jobs,' he added. This comes amid the ongoing CII Partnership Summit, where the government has been showcasing large-scale investment commitments as evidence of economic momentum. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led alliance has not publicly responded to the specific data points raised in Jagan Mohan Reddy's post.
What Comes Next
The exchange signals that the opposition's principal line of attack will be economic credibility rather than purely political allegations — a sharper, evidence-led strategy ahead of the next electoral cycle. Independent verification of the claims, particularly around unemployment rankings and APERC data, will be key to assessing their full weight.
Point of View
And the opposition has not addressed whether structural factors such as cyclical industry slowdowns or base-year distortions partly explain the figures. The more uncomfortable question for the Naidu government is the unemployment ranking — third in the country in Q2 is not a figure easily explained away at an investor summit. If the TDP does not rebut the numbers directly, silence will read as admission in the court of public opinion.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific data did Jagan Mohan Reddy cite against Chandrababu Naidu?
Jagan Mohan Reddy cited three sets of data: APERC figures showing a decline in Andhra Pradesh power sales from 71,722 MU in FY 2023-24 to 70,885 MU in FY 2025-26; CAG provisional figures showing own-tax revenue grew at a CAGR of just 0.15% over two years; and national unemployment rankings placing Andhra Pradesh third in Q2 FY 2026-27.
Why did Jagan post this criticism during the CII Partnership Summit?
The CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam is a flagship event where the Naidu government showcases investment commitments and growth projections to businesses. By posting counter-data at the same time, Jagan Mohan Reddy aimed to undercut the government's narrative at its most visible public moment.
What does falling power demand indicate about Andhra Pradesh's economy?
Electricity consumption is widely used as a proxy for economic activity, covering industrial output, household purchasing power, and business expansion. A decline in power sales over two years, as Jagan Mohan Reddy argues using APERC data, suggests that neither industrial nor household demand has grown — a sign of sluggish economic conditions.
How significant is the near-zero growth in Andhra Pradesh's own tax revenues?
A CAGR of 0.15% over two years, as cited from provisional CAG figures, is effectively flat in real terms once inflation is factored in. Own-tax revenues reflect consumption and investment levels within the state; stagnant growth suggests limited expansion in economic activity generating taxable transactions.
Has the Naidu government responded to Jagan's economic claims?
As of the time of this report, the Telugu Desam Party-led state government had not publicly responded to the specific data points raised by Jagan Mohan Reddy. The government has previously cited 23 lakh jobs generated as evidence of economic progress, a figure Jagan directly contests.
