YSR Congress party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy has decided to hit the road from Tirupati in the name of ‘janabheri’ to launch his election campaign, though unofficially, from March 1.
The move is being seen as an attempt to restrict the influx of ruling Congress party leaders into its key rival Telugu Desam Party and draw them towards the YSRC. The party has also announced Mr. Jagan’s ‘odarpu yatra’ in Nalgonda district (Telangana) from March 9 to 14. It is likely to be launched either from Huzurnagar or Kodad.
Spokesperson of YSR Congress G. Ramachandra Rao said on Friday that Mr. Jagan would also address people at Eluru, Nidadavolu, Khammam and Narasaraopet from March 4 to 6. He will conduct ‘odarpu yatra’ in Macherla (Guntur district) on March 7 and 8.
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Putting to rest the speculation that he is not keen on taking up ‘odarpu yatra’ in Telangana due to the possible opposition to his campaign, Mr. Jagan has decided to console the families whose members had ended their lives, unable to bear Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s untimely death and not the ones who had ended their lives for the cause of Telangana.
“There are martyrs on both sides – people who ended lives for Telangana and Samaikyandhra – but the ‘odarpu yatra’ is meant only for families who suffered due to YSR’s death,” YSRC leader M.V. Mysura Reddy said. Asked whether it was a ploy to gain the sympathy of one section of people in Telangana, he said the YSRC had no such trivial thinking.
The party is also yet to discuss the issue of fielding Y.S. Sharmila, Mr. Jagan’s sister from Telangana and handing over the party’s reigns in the new State after completion of bifurcation, a senior leader said.
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