Jagan's sister to lead padyatra against AP Cong's failures

Hyderabad, Oct 11: YSR

chief

's sister Sharmila will undertake a padyatra from Oct 18 to highlight the "failures" of the ruling Congress and main Opposition

.

The proposed yatra will commence from the family's Idupulapaya Estate in Kadapa district and cover an estimated 3,000 kms across Andhra Pradesh before culminating at Icchapuram in Srikakulam district, party's president and Jagan's mother YS Vijayamma told reporters here today.

The political affairs committee (PAC) of YSR Congress Party met today and finalised that Sharmila will lead the padyatra and continue it till Jagan (presently in jail in connection with alleged disproportionate assets case) comes out on bail and takes over the yatra, she said.

"In view of my arthritis problem, party leaders advised me not to take up the yatra and hence, it was decided that Sharmila will lead it and continue the 'Praja Prasthanam' launched by YSR through this padyatra," Vijayamma said.

"In fact, we were anticipating that Jagan will lead the padyatra, but that did not happen in view of cancellation of his bail (by the Supreme Court)," she said.

A meeting of the central governing council (CGC), central executive council (CEC), MPs and MLAs of YSR Congress, after reviewing the affairs in the state, had yesterday resolved that the party should undertake a mass contact programme.

The meeting had also condemned the "nexus" between Congress and main opposition TDP in targeting Jagan.

The padyatra, covering all the three regions of Andhra Pradesh, will be on the lines of YSR's 'Praja Prasthanam' which "turned a new leaf in the polity of the state", Vijayamma said after the PAC meeting, which prepared the roadmap that was approved by Jagan.

"In course of the padyatra, we will create a public opinion forcing the main opposition TDP to move a no-confidence motion against the ruling Congress for taxing the common man indiscriminately and going to the extent of collecting power dues in retrospective effect," she asserted.

Accusing the TDP of remaining silent on all these issues including fees reimbursement scheme and poor power supply to farmers, the YSR Congress leader sought to know "why TDP is not playing its role of the Opposition Party".

"These are among the questions we will be raising during the padyatra. Our programme will aim at raising public opinion against the insensitive state government and equally numb Opposition TDP and force a no-confidence motion at the earliest," she added.

PTI