The latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) poll should worry the ruling YSRCP in general and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in particular.
In the poll for the most popular chief minister in his/her home state, Jagan’s ratings show a drastic decline compared to 2019. He is the one Chief Minister whose support base shrunk by a whopping 16.8 percentage points. This difference is the highest among all the chief ministers survyed in the country. His party received 56.5 per cent of the votes polled in the last election. Currently, he has the support of 39.7 percent of the people in Andhra Pradesh.
For example, Tamil Nadu Chief Minsiter MK Stalin also lost considerable erosion in his support base since his election to power. While he got 60.6 percent of votes in the last election, now his government is backed by only 45.7 per cent. This is a decline of nearly 15 percent, but still not as high as that of Jagan.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had an erosion of nealry 5 percent but still enjoys the most support in his home state with 73.2 percent rating, ranking number one among all chief ministers.
One may argue that 39.7 percent is still a solid vote bank for any party. True, but the fact that his voting blocs are increasingly unhappy with his government should send danger signals to the YSRC party. The opposition Telugu Desam Party got a little less than 40 percent in the 2009 elections. It is likely that those who withdrew their support to Jagan are likely to be turning towards the TDP, which means it is poised to expand its vote bank currently.
Of the 16.8 points that Jagan Mohan Reddy lost, a major part can be expected to shift to the TDP and Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena, two parties that are ahead in the fight against the ruling YSRCP government.
The state is nearlyl 15 months away from Assembly and Parliament elections. It is to be seen how Jagan Mohan Reddy is going arrest this perceptible decline in his ratings and win back the support of the voters.
