VIJAYAWADA: The YSR Congress would field its leaders to meet all sections of the society with a view to attracting the masses towards the party.
The ruling party leaders would visit every doorstep of the Muslim / minority communities and as also influential community and religious leaders.
Notably, the Muslim minorities played an important role in the electoral win of the YSRC in the 2019 elections. Further, chief minister Jagan Reddy gave due prominence to the minorities. He has decided to go to the minorities once again, seeking the Muslim community’s cooperation in particular, by explaining his government efforts to ensure their welfare.
The programme is planned under the Target 175-Elections 2024 strategy.
After the success of the Backward Communities (BC) Mahasabha ‘Jai Ho BC’ that was held in Vijayawada on Dec 7, YSRC chalked out a strategy to conduct similar meetings with SC, ST and minority communities and primarily conducted a preparatory meeting with minorities.
There is a maximum of 16 months’ time for elections. Hence the CM is readying strategies to mingle with the public under which he would start the Jaganannaku Chebudam programme to receive grievances directly from the public. He is also planning to conduct Rachabanda meetings to interact with the public during his future visits to districts.
Notably, deceased chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy conducted Rachabanda meetings that became popular and Jagan is following the path of his father by holding such meets in the coming days.
As per data, Muslims are a deciding factor with a ten to 20 per cent populations mainly in various assembly segments of Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore, Kadapa, Kurnool, Chittoor . Minority populations are dominant in urban ares – some 32 per cent in Kadapa, 34 per cent in Hindupur, 32 per cent in Nandyal, 29 per cent in Kurnool, 26 per cent in Adoni, 26 per cent in Tadipatri, 25 per cent in Guntakal, 25 per cent in Produttur, 24 per cent in Madanapalle, 23 per cent in Chilakaluripet, 18 per cent in Guntur, 19 per cent in Nellore and 16 per cent to six per cent in other cities and towns.
The YSRC would conduct meetings in the minority- dominant places first and in all districts later with a view to strengthen the party’s ties with the minorities in the run-up to the next assembly elections.
Jagan Reddy offered deputy CM post to SB Amzath Basha after formation of the government and continued him in the second cabinet. Further, he offered MLC and other posts to the minorities and now decided to take the government and the YSRC to the doorsteps of the minorities.
The party would conduct meetings with all stakeholders including Ulemas, Imams, Mouzans, Masjid committee members, Madrasa stakeholders, and WAQF board stakeholders. The chief minister himself would participate in several meetings to communicate his message to the minorities.
Senior political analysts said Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu totally neglected the minorities during his five years of tenure by refusing cabinet berths to them and excluded them from other posts. They stated that before the elections, Naidu offered AP legislative council chairman post to MA Sharif but it did not help the TD. This also led to the TD’s humiliating defeat in the 2019 elections, they noted.
They said that sensing change of opinions and attitudes in various social groups for the past three and half years, chief minister Jagan drew a strategy to attract all social groups by explaining his welfare and development initiatives to those groups and this seemed to work well to lessen anti-incumbency.
DCM Amzath Basha, MLCs Md Ruhulla, Ishak Basha, Md Iqbal and other minority leaders said that the top leadership would personally meet and interact with influential stakeholders of the Muslim community and seek support for the YSRC. They said that a massive Minority Mahasabha ‘Jai Ho Muslim’ inviting all stakeholders/leaders will be held soon.
