Reportedly, YSRTP chief Sharmila will be commencing her Telangana-wide Padayatra on 18th October. She will starting her walkathon from Chevalla, the constituency from which YSR started his Padayatra back in 2004. This way, she hopes to start her Padayatra on a sentimental note.
Previously, the former chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhar Reddy rose to power following his statewide Padayatra(mega walkathon) prior to 2004 general elections. Many believe that Rajasekhar Reddy could reach out to the masses through this Padayatra and this political tour catapulted him to power in 2004.
Later, YSR’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy followed a similar blueprint as he set out on Praja Sankalpa Yatra – A mega walkathon through which he covered 3648 KMs on foot. Much like his father, Jagan could connect with the masses through the Padayatra and it played an instrumental role in his party YSRC’s landslide victory in 2019 Andhra Pradesh elections.
Sharmila will be hoping to emulate the feats achieved by her father and brother, who went on to become chief ministers following their Padayatras. Will she be able to do so? We have to wait and watch.
