Andhra Pradesh's tryst with Padayatra: Walk to electoral victory

While YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to go on a padayatra, Pawan Kalyan has refused to citing law and order problem.

Andhra Pradesh has an interesting tryst with padayatra. Thanks to the magnanimous victories it has brought to many leaders in the state, Padayatra has been deemed as the 'tried and tested' method to gain votes, support and most importantly, power. From Rajasekhara Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu, Rahul Gandhi and now Jagan Mohan Reddy, all leaders in the state and those who visit, swear by it.

To catapult his party to power, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy depended on the Padayatra route. To overthrow the government in Andhra Pradesh and ensure a resurgence of Telugu Desam Party, Chandrababu Naidu too took the padayatra route. Rahul Gandhi, understanding fully well the Telugu people's sentiments around Padayatra, decided to undertake one when he visited Anantapur in 2015. The leaders may have changed but the formula to success in Andhra Pradesh politics continues to remain the same, the taxing but effective padayatra.

YSR's 'Praja Prasthanam'

In 2003, late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy undertook a 1,500 km padayatra that resurrected the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh. The almost written off party gained a new lease of life with each day of Rajasekhara Reddy's 60-day padayatra. At a time when the Chandrababu Naidu government-ruled Andhra Pradesh was facing severe drought and farmer suicides, the leader from Kadapa set on foot to gain the confidence of the masses.

The padayatra worked spectacularly well. He covered 11 districts in a span of 60 days and walked about 1,475 km. He named the padayatra, 'Praja Prasthanam' and vowed to make rural development his priority, a far cry from Naidu's push for technology and urban development. In 2004, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy led the Congress to victory in Andhra Pradesh. His Padayatra personally ensured that he became the Chief Minister. After a gap of ten years, Andhra Pradesh saw the Congress returning to power because one man chose to go to the people in the form of a padayatra.

When Chandrababu Naidu said 'Vastunna Meekosam'

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's leadership and his padayatra had a lasting effect and ensured that the Congress returned to power in the 2009 assembly elections despite a strong TDP and Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam. Chandrababu Naidu cracked the secret quickly.

In a bid to outdo Rajasekhara Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu understood a massive 208-day padayatra in 2012. He walked till 2013 and covered almost 2,800 kms. Chandrababu Naidu was 62-years-old when he embarked on the padayatra and holds the record for the longest padayatra in the state to date. He began his walk from Hindupur and concluded at Vishakhapatnam. Naidu walked across 13 districts, including those in Telangana, Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra and North Andhra. His bid to bring his party back to power worked like magic in the 2014 assembly elections.

Chandrababu Naidu returned as the Chief Minister, the first after the state was split to form Telangana. The padayatra did have its impact on Telangana districts as well with TDP emerging as the chief opposition party.

Walk to victory in Andhra Pradesh politics

Taking a cue from leaders including his father, Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to undertake a padayatra. With the line, "Anna Vastunnadu...Bhavishyattu Manade", Jagan hopes to rekindle the magic his father had managed to bring about for his party. Jagan Mohan Reddy is struggling with graft charges and a strong rival in TDP. The entry of the BJP, Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena party is only worsening the situation.

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had taken the padayatra route at a time of dire crisis and emerged victorious. Jagan Mohan Reddy hopes to do the same. The YSR Congress chief also hopes to break Chandrababu Naidu's record of 2,800 kms and has vowed to walk 3,000 kms across the state. Much like his father Jagan Mohan Reddy will also begin the padayatra from Kadapa, his hometown.

Given the reception that the people of Andhra Pradesh have given to padayatra, the route has become popularly known as the sure shot method to gain support and power. But has the trend changed, is now a matter of wait and watch.

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