A walkathon time for netas

Leaders plan padayatra to feel pulse of people

​Hyderabad: Opposition leaders in Telangana seem to have been bitten by the padayatra bug, a few days after Jagan announced his walkathon.

Two years ahead of the polls, the leaders of Congress, BJP and TDP are gearing up for separate padayatras. In all, the proposed padayatras would cover more than 2,000 km in Telangana. Last year, CPI(M) state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram had taken up a 2,000-km long padayatra.

Leaders intended to feel the pulse of the people during the padyatras. They attempt to make assessment of how effective the development schemes are aimed at beneficiaries. They try to address the aggrieved and assure them succour if they are voted to power.

The ultimate goal of these walkathons is to expose TRS government. It will also serve to propagate the policies and programmes of the respective parties and strengthen the party cadre at the grassroot level.

While the Telangana unit of the TDP is said to have got the nod of national president N Chandrababu Naidu for the proposed padayatra in principle, the Congress and BJP leaders are yet to take a final decision.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy told The Hans India that he was keen on taking up the padayatra and that was in the process of holding series of meetings with his cadre and followers. Tentatively, he proposes to launch the padayatra from November. He said he would also ask his brother and MLC Rajagopal Reddy to join him. He expressed confidence that the state party would approve his proposal.

TDP working president A Revanth Reddy, who had recently taken up a mini-padayatra to meet the distressed farmers in a few assembly constituencies, now wants to cover the entire Telangana. According to him, this will help in assessing the exact strength and weakness of the TDP in the state and would help in identifying potential candidates for next elections.

He is contemplating launching the padayatra towards end of December or early January. This will also help in exposing the failure of the TRS government, he said.

BJP senior leader G Kishan Reddy is also contemplating taking up a padayatra. This will help in explaining achievements of NDA government and the assistance the Centre had extended to Telangana after bifurcation. The dates for his padayatra would be finalised after the central party gives its clearance.