Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is learnt to have made up his mind to drop 18 sitting MLAs from contest in the next election. He had even reportedly told them that he would not give tickets to them in the next election.

Jagan addressed a meeting of the party MLAs, district unit presidents and regional coordinators at his office on Wednesday. He reviewed the MLAs participation in the Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam programme.

Sources say that Jagan was not happy with these 18 MLAs as they are not participating in the programme and visiting the people in their respective constituencies. He wondered why they were not going to the people who were receiving the benefits from the government.

“I am giving money to the people. This never happened in the history of the state. It is not even happening in any other state. Why don’t you feel proud to go to the beneficiary and tell them that it is our government’s contribution? Tell them this is from Jagananna,” the chief minister reportedly told the MLAs.

He told them that he had decided to drop 18 sitting MLAs as they have not improved their performance despite repeated advice. “If you can’t go to the people now to tell them what the government is giving them, how can you go to the people and ask them for votes,” Jagan shot at the MLAs.

Jagan Mohan Reddy told them that he had the latest survey reports conducted by different agencies including the state intelligence wing and the IPAC. He told them that all these survey reports were showing negative remarks against the 18 sitting MLAs.

The chief minister is understood to have asked the 18 MLAs to volunteer to work for the party candidate. He also promised to accommodate them in the government once the elections are completed.