People not interested in pada-yatras, they want parties which resolve their issues

MULUGU: The ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’ padayatra of TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy is showing the party of the last-mile difficulty that it faces in giving the people the confidence that it can offer a solution to its problems.

Rajaiah, who lives near the Ramappa temple, said officials had removed his kiosk during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu last year. The administration had not allowed the kiosks to return even one and a half months later.

The vendors had taken the issue all the way up to the collector, the SP and the minister but none had helped. Rajaiah said he set out to meet Revanth Reddy, who was camping at Palampet, for help but was dissuaded by others.

The locals asked him that when the BRS leaders and even Congress MLA Seethakka were unable to help them, how could Revanth Reddy do anything. “So we stepped back,” Rajaiah told this correspondent.

Shravan Reddy, an engineer, said several young people like him were waiting for job opportunities. The government had issued a few notifications but had done nothing for the jobless. He felt the padayatra of Revanth Reddy and similar exercises would put pressure on the government.

“Especially after the success of Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, the Haath Se Haath Jodo yatra of Revanth Reddy will make people think about their future and to which party power should be given,” Shravan Reddy said.

A kiosk owner near a wine shop in Venkatapur village said that all political leaders were selfish and took out padayatras for their benefit. However, padayatras were good for his business as the people purchased eatables from him, he said.

Narasamma, an elderly resident of Narlapur, said that that the large convoy of vehicle made it feel like the Medaram jatara as back again. She said she had no idea why the padayatra was being held.

For Tirupati Naik, who runs a tiffin centre at Pasra, only the padayatra of the late Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy was the real thing. All the others are doing it for political mileage.