On a muggy afternoon, Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy was to address a public meeting at Pavurala Gutta, the foothills of Nallamalla Hills in Kurnool district, where his father the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died in a helicopter crash on September 9, 2009. After 14 days, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy flew from Hyderabad to the crash site and later addressed a massive public meeting.
Mr. Jagan promised in an emotional tone that he would visit each and every family who have lost their near ones. In the months to follow, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy begins a ‘Odarpu Yatra’ visiting families, expressing his condolences and covering the entire State criss-crossing districts.
Soon, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy leaves the Congress Party, with which his family has been associated for over three decades and forms a new party, Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP).
But all it mattered was that the party carried the signature of YSR.
This Wednesday marks the 10th year of the formation of the party, which rode to power on a massive vote share of 51% in the general elections held in 2019 winning 151 out of 175 seats.
The YSR Congress Party’s journey to power had never been smooth. In May 2012, Mr. Jagan was arrested by the CBI probing in a case relating to corruption charges.
By then he was released from prison on bail, the State had witnessed tumultuous changes in the landscape. The State was bifurcated and a Telangana was carved out with Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 years.
In the general elections held in 2014, the YSRCP won 67 seats but with 40% vote share it came close to power.
The TDP government announces Amaravati as the capital, and in March 2017, the first Assembly session was held in the new Assembly.
Mr. Jagan, then as a leader of opposition, continued to mount pressure on the government by undertaking protests in Guntur and Vijayawada demanding Special Category Status.
As the countdown for the general elections began, Mr. Jagan decided to embark on ‘padayatra’ covering all the 13 districts of the State. Mr. Reddy began his yatra from Idupulapaya village in Kadapa district in November 2017, where his father Rajasekhara Reddy was laid to rest. The ‘padayatra’ covering 3,648 km covered the entire length and breadth of the State.
Mr. Jagan set off on a scorching pace covering 14-20 km per day. Walking in gruelling summer, and in pouring rain, Mr. Reddy was able to meet all sections of society, holding impromptu meetings. He chose not to sleep at any private residences but instead slept in a convertible tent.
In the elections held in April 2019, Mr. Jagan led an invigorated party to a sweeping victory against the TDP. The party won 151 out of 175 seats powered by an en masse transfer of traditional Congress vote base of Dalits, Muslims. Most Ministers in the TDP government lost their deposits and a new set of young political leaders came on stage.
Mr. Jagan did not stop with it. He constituted the council of Ministers which included Mekathoti Sucharita, a Dailt Home Minister and five deputy Chief Ministers, all from Backward Classes, SC and ST community with an aim to build a social coalition consisting of Dalits and Other Backward Classes.
