Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Padayatra boosts Cong. morale

By T. Lakshmipathi

HYDERABAD June 14. The CLP leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's padayatra, by all accounts, has served as an effective instrument of political mobilisation. It helped activate the Congress, which remained dormant despite several programmes taken up by the Pradesh Congress Committee to expose the shortcomings of the TDP Government.

Dr. Reddy set out on the marathon tour, which took him across a distance 1,470 km in 11 districts in 60-odd days, after the budget session of the Assembly. The provocation for the yatra, as explained by Dr. Reddy himself, was that the Opposition voice was stifled in the House and that the only way to highlight the sufferings of people was to reach out to them.

The tour was not devoid of initial hiccups. His adversaries within the Congress did not take to his mass contact programme kindly.

The Congress Forum for Telangana (CFT) struck a discordant note, alleging that his yatra is against the interests of Telangana unless he made his stand on separate statehood for the region clear. Dr. Reddy steered clear of the controversy with an argument that it was for the party high command to take a stand "on the sensitive issue.'' He did not encounter any hostility during his yatra in Telangana districts.

Another senior party leader -- V. Hanumantha Rao -- made a vain attempt to take a parallel yatra if only to belittle Dr. Reddy's effort. Much to the relief of Dr. Reddy, the AICC secretary was forced to abandon the plan. Dr. Reddy's mission has come in for praise from other AICC leaders including Gulam Nabi Azad, who recently took over as in charge of party affairs in the State.

The marathon march, which enabled the CLP leader to mingle with people and share their sufferings, boosted his image and lifted the spirits of workers. Though elections are far off, the yatra had all the trappings of a poll campaign and galvanised the party into an election mode. The response of people forced his rivals in the party to fall in line. Most senior leaders of the party joined his yatra at one stage or the other. The PCC president cast his lot with Dr. Reddy, thus effectively silencing other feeble voices of protest within the party. There was let-up in the infighting in the party, projecting a semblance of unity, at least for the time being.

The spate of complaints Dr. Reddy received during the yatra and the way he articulated these grievances forced the ruling TDP to sit up and take a fresh look at its agenda. The focus of the Government shifted from reforms to a welfare package, which has come to be known as one crore boons to the people. Dr. Reddy's mission seem to have served as an early wake-up call for the TDP which has started "Jana Chaitanya yatras'' to counter the Congress propaganda.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Naidu to lead all-party team to Delhi
• Govt. draws up agriculture action plan
• Padayatra boosts Cong. morale
• Monsoon misses its date again
• CLP leader should thank CM, says CPI(M)
• CM ridicules Azad claim
• Naxals kill BJP leader
• ICET: top ranks for Hyderabad candidates
• RTC staff plan silent protest
• Farm official released unharmed
• Unemployment becomes a social problem: YSR

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu