Jagan's Padayatra Across 150 Assembly Constituencies; YSRCP 2.0 Roadmap Unveiled

YSRCP president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday (January 28) announced an extensive statewide padayatra even as he stepped up his attack on the TDP-led government, accusing it of misgovernance, corruption and betraying public trust.

Addressing party cadre at a meeting in Bheemavaram, Jagan said he would undertake a padayatra covering all 150 Assembly constituencies over the next one-and-a-half years, positioning it as a mass outreach programme to directly engage with people and highlight what he termed the failures of the current dispensation. He said the yatra would mark the beginning of “YSRCP 2.0,” with greater emphasis on grassroots workers and stronger village-level party committees.

At the same meeting, Jagan launched a scathing critique of the government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu, questioning whether the administration had delivered even a single tangible benefit to the public despite being in power for nearly two years and presenting three budgets. He alleged that election promises had been reduced to slogans and accused the government of pushing the state into what he described as a “jungle raj” marked by anarchy and lawlessness.

Drawing a contrast with his tenure, Jagan said the YSRCP had treated its manifesto as a binding commitment and ensured uninterrupted delivery of welfare schemes, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. He claimed that not a single programme was discontinued during his term and that people’s needs were prioritised over administrative constraints.

The former Chief Minister alleged that most welfare schemes launched under the YSRCP had been scrapped after the change of government. He dismissed the ruling party’s much-publicised “Super Six” and “Super Seven” promises as hollow claims, accusing the Chief Minister of misleading the public on multiple fronts, including essential commodities.

On the state’s finances, Jagan said his government had borrowed about ₹3.32 lakh crore over five years, with ₹2.73 lakh crore directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, backed by Aadhaar-linked records. He alleged that the present government had already borrowed close to ₹3 lakh crore in less than two years and questioned where the money had gone, alleging a pattern of widespread corruption and diversion of public funds.

Jagan also levelled serious allegations of corruption in the liquor trade, claiming liquor shops and belt shops were controlled by ruling party affiliates, liquor was sold above MRP and adulterated bottles were being circulated. He further accused the government of destroying revenue sources from sand and mineral resources, alleging that while sand mining earlier generated around ₹750 crore annually for the state, it now yielded no revenue despite higher prices.

Referring to incidents during the recent Sankranti festival, Jagan alleged that illegal activities such as cockfighting and recording dances were conducted openly, with videos circulating widely on social media. He claimed these activities reflected a complete breakdown of law enforcement and alleged complicity of political leaders and officials.

Raising alarm over women’s safety, Jagan cited multiple alleged instances involving ruling party legislators and leaders, accusing them of harassment, intimidation, sexual violence and misuse of power to suppress cases. He said such incidents exposed the erosion of institutional accountability under the present government.

Jagan also accused the administration of targeting political opponents through false cases and fabricated evidence, while allowing key welfare sectors to collapse. He alleged prolonged delays in fee reimbursement, disruption of schemes like Vasathi Deevena, poor-quality food under the Gorumudda programme, and the weakening of Aarogyasri. He further claimed that farmers were denied minimum support prices, fertilisers were unavailable, promised income support was cut short, and aquaculture power subsidies had been withdrawn.

“If a government cannot protect education, healthcare and agriculture, what purpose does it serve?” Jagan asked, asserting that the forthcoming padayatra would amplify public voices and hold the government accountable.

Calling on party workers to prepare for an intensified political battle, Jagan said the YSRCP cadre would stand firmly with the people and predicted a strong public backlash against the Chandrababu Naidu government. He acknowledged that there may have been shortcomings earlier but assured that the next phase of the party would place cadre and grassroots leadership at the centre of its strategy.