Y.S. Sharmila’s ‘Padayatra,’ a proposed walk of 4,000 km across Telangana in 400 days, has entered its fifth day.
Named ‘Praja Prasthanam,’ the walk is expected to strengthen her newly founded YSR Telangana Party.
The daughter of the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has taken up the walkathon to interact with the people directly and discuss their problems.
After all, such walks taken up by her father and brother proved to be quite successful at the polling booth.
Ms. Sharmila, who started the outreach program on October 20, has walked 50 km so far.
Is Sharmila drawing crowds?
The public response is getting better and better, a beaming office-bearer of the party told Deccan Mirror.
But public response to political parties varies from district to district, and sometimes even village to village. It is too early to comment.
Y.S.Sharmila did display her campaigning abilities in the past though.
She had once filled in for her brother Y.S. Jagan when he was jailed and carried forward his ‘Odarpu Yatra’ (A tour meant to console the families of those who died of shock at the sudden death of Chief Minister YSR in a helicopter crash)
The premise of the ‘Odarpu Yatra,’ the resulting rebellion in A.P. Congress, the disproportionate assets case against Y.S.Jagan, and finally Jagan’s resilience – all together seized the public fancy so much that the crowds attending his meetings during the tour were simply tremendous.
A lot rested on Sharmila’s shoulders, as she could not lose such a huge momentum for her brother’s YSR Congress Party. She managed it well in his absence. The crowds did not dwindle.
A different situation
Now, the context of her tour is entirely different. She set up a political party to challenge the alleged inefficacy of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. That puts her on par with every other opposition party, and she needs to prove how she would be a better option than any of them.
She got her initial push. Her mother, Vijayamma, spoke at Chevella and recollected how the late YSR envisioned water projects and welfare programs.
Despite the regard that many people would hold for her late father, she needs to build from scratch. She also has to refute the inevitable charges that someone set her up to divide votes for some party or the other.
The walk has just begun. Will she become stronger as she walks through 90 assembly constituencies and meeting people all along, or will she fail to bond with them in the current political landscape, is a million-dollar question.
Whether she attracts huge crowds or not, rival parties would not be taking her party for granted anytime soon.