For for a while allegations of “chori elections” — the erasure or removal of names from electoral rolls — by the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission of India dominated the national political discourse. As the rhetoric died down, a similar narrative began to gain prominence in Andhra Pradesh, with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the current government of “credit chori”, or taking credit for projects and policies set during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure.
During the 2024 assembly elections, the TDP campaigned hard on infrastructure and investment, claiming that Mr Reddy’s five-year government had neglected both. After the elections, the new “twin-engine” government showcased Andhra Pradesh as a major investment hub and highlighted the state’s improved infrastructure.
In October 2025, Google announced plans to build a massive one gigawatt AI data center campus in Visakhapatnam. The project — Google’s largest AI center outside the US — will cost nearly $15 billion over five years ending in 2030. The TDP, led by Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, praised the Naidu government’s investor-friendly, proactive approach and ease of doing business policies.
But the YSRCP was not ready to let the story leak. She pointed to the groundwork she laid between 2019 and 2024 – including allocating land to companies such as the Adani Group and providing red tape. She argued that the TDP’s claim was an example of “credit chori”.
For the YSRCP, the claim that the Google deal is less about pride and more about damage control. Under constant attack from the NDA for its policies such as the allegation of 75% job reservation for locals, which has drawn widespread national criticism, the party is clearly keen to avoid taking full credit for the NDA.
The YSRCP has also come under attack for failing to build infrastructure in the state. The potholed roads became a prime scouting ground for the NDA. When the first test flight landed at the Alluri Sitharama Raju Greenfield International Airport in Bhogapuram on January 4, the two sides once again engaged in a credit war.
In 2019, under the TDP government, the foundation stone of the airport was laid. However, a few months later, Mr. Reddy assumed the office of Chief Minister. The YSRCP claims this marked a turning point. He claims that the project gained momentum after the foundation stone was laid again in 2023 by Mr. Reddy. According to the party, during Mr. Reddy’s five-year tenure, land acquisitions and key rehabilitation were completed, paving the way for the completion of the airport.
However, the TDP claims that the project was conceived and launched during his tenure and that the remaining processes were carried out. He points out that TDP MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu holds the civil aviation portfolio in the NDA government at the centre.
Even initiatives aimed at farmers are caught in a narrative battle. Mr. Reddy claimed that a comprehensive land survey conducted during his tenure enabled the issuance of new pattadar passbooks to farmers. But the TDP criticized the passbooks issued by the YSRCP for showing Mr. Reddy’s photograph. She called it unacceptable and replaced them with passbooks with the state coat of arms. The TDP claims that the new passbooks are also error-free – a result of reforms in the revenue system.
What prompted Mr. Reddy to push for his name to be included in the completion of the airport project and the completion of the Google data center deal? The TDP has long accused him of failing to push through projects initiated by the previous TDP government — unlike his father, former chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, and subsequent chief ministers of united Andhra. Mr. Reddy also stopped the Amaravati capital project and slowed down the Polavaram irrigation project.
The YSRCP aims to shake off the notion that it is an impediment to development. He also wants to claim credit for completing two major projects that could transform the state — particularly north coastal Andhra, where the party did not fare well in the 2024 elections.
While both the YSRCP and the TDP are eager to stake their claim on these projects, the timelines provide a clearer picture of who deserves the credit. In the end, it will be up to the voters to decide.
Published – 11 Feb 2026 0:40 AM IST