IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh has once again challenged YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to a debate on the Mega DSC conducted by the State government, and asked him to fix a date and time. The YSRCP has been alleging irregularities in the conduct of the DSC and has demanded Mr. Lokesh’s resignation.

Mr. Lokesh reached Adoni on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) night, where he met party leaders and activists. Addressing the gathering, he said the DSC had been conducted in a transparent manner, and challenged Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy to a debate on the Group-I paper leak and the liquor scam under the previous YSRCP government.

“DSC is synonymous with the TDP, and the TDP with DSC. The Telugu Desam Party holds the distinction of having recruited 2,00,000 teachers. Despite facing 250 lawsuits within 150 days, we filled 16,000 teacher posts,” he said.

On the YSRCP claiming credit for the upcoming Bhogapuram airport, Mr. Lokesh said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy did not even look at Bhogapuram during his five years as Chief Minister. “Now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming for the inauguration, he has suddenly started claiming credit for it,” he said, adding that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was suffering from a condition he called “Credit Theft Disorder.”

Mr. Lokesh said factionalism had thrived under the YSRCP regime in the region where investments were now being brought in.

Recalling his ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra across the 14 constituencies of the undivided Kurnool district over 45 days, he said there was no police protection or ‘rope party’ security at the time, but the TDP cadre had stood behind him.

“When I visited here previously, the people of Adoni were migrating to neighbouring districts for work; they had requested the completion of drinking water and irrigation projects. We allocated 3,000 of the teachers selected in the previous DSC recruitment specifically to Kurnool district. We are also prioritising the industrial sector. We appointed T.G. Bharath, who hails from Kurnool district, as the Minister for Industries. Under his leadership, we are bringing industries to Kurnool district on a scale never seen before. We have brought projects like Drone City to Kurnool,” he said.

Published - July 30, 2026 12:14 pm IST