Tenth Exam fiasco: Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy vs. Nara Lokesh

A fresh political storm erupted in the state as YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy lashed out at the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) over the recent Class 10 exam results.

Jagan accused Education Minister Nara Lokesh and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of gross mismanagement, calling the situation a “complete failure” and alleging widespread administrative lapses that have caused distress among students and parents alike.

Speaking at a public gathering, Jagan said, “Chandrababu and his son Lokesh have utterly failed in conducting the tenth exams. The education sector is in shambles, with students suffering due to their incompetence.”

He alleged irregularities in paper evaluation and delays in result announcements, asserting that the TDP-led government had “ruined” the state’s education system through poor governance.

Jagan also claimed that the current administration’s policies had led to a decline in academic standards, framing the exam debacle as evidence of larger systemic failure.

Lokesh fires back with personal jabs

In a strong rebuttal, Education Minister and TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh dismissed Jagan’s statements as “fake tweets” and accused the former CM of spreading misinformation. Addressing the media and party supporters, Lokesh presented a detailed point-by-point response, asserting that many of the current issues in the education system were inherited from the previous YSRCP regime.

“During Jagan’s tenure, question papers were leaked, student performance dropped, and the system was plagued with corruption and inefficiency,” Lokesh said.

He contrasted his own vision with Jagan’s, declaring, “Jagan’s policy was to kill development; ours is skill development.”

Lokesh also cited the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which showed a decline in reading proficiency from 57% in 2014 to 37.5% under YSRCP’s rule, to highlight what he called the former government’s failure to maintain educational standards. Taking the confrontation further, Lokesh made personal remarks about Jagan, accusing him of “disloyalty” to his own family. “This is a man who ousted his own mother and sister out of spite and hatred,” Lokesh said, referencing Jagan’s widely known rift with his mother Y.S. Vijayamma and sister Y.S. Sharmila. Ending his attack with a taunt, he quipped, “Arthamainda Raja?” (Do you understand, Raja?), implying that Jagan was now facing political consequences for his past actions.