Bus Yatras new fad for politician to meet people

Hyderabad: The Bus Yatra is the popular choice of political leaders to reach out to the public now that vote grabbing time is drawing near. It was the founder of the Telugu Desam, N T Rama Rao, who was the originator of mass contact programmes like bus and padh  yatras.  YSRC Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is already conducting Praja Sankalpa Yatra to reach the people in Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana, TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy is on a Bus Yatra in a phased manner. Actor turned politician Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan has also announced his intention of organising a Bus Yatra by May 11.

AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will tour all 13 districts extensively. Such mass contact meetings held more frequently will hopefully yield better dividends as it did with NTR’s Chaitanya Radha Yatra. Later, the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy conducted a marathon Pada Yatra from Chevella in Ranga Reddy district to Ichapuram in Srikakulam district, and the present Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu went on a long Padayatra as an opposition leader.

YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is also frequently conducting Pada Yatras and YSRC MPs and others have decided to do so as well.  The idea that ministers must spend more time with the people and not only at the time of elections is attributed to N T Rama Rao. Now, in both Telugu states, ministers are spending more time with the people than sitting in the secretariat.