YSR Telangana party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister Y S Sharmila on Saturday crossed an important milestone in her padayatra across Telangana.
She has crossed 2,000 km, when she entered Kothakota in Wanaparthi district on Saturday afternoon.
She unveiled a pylon at Kothakota to mark the completion of a major milestone in her padayatra. Her mother and former MLA Y S Vijayamma attended the “historic” event.
Sharmila, who kicked off her “Praja Prasthanam” padayatra on October 20, 2021 from Chevella, a sentimental place for her father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, walked for 21 days before applying brakes on November 10, after the state election commission announced model code of conduct in the wake of MLC election under local bodies’ quota.
She resumed her padayatra on March 1 this year, but has taken occasional breaks for various reasons. Yet, she has been continuing her walkathon to cover various parts of the state.
Sharmila claimed that she had completed 2,000 km walk in a span of 148 days. She has so far covered 13 districts, 104 mandals, 31 municipalities and 34 assembly constituencies and 987 villages.
After completing erstwhile combined Khammam and Nalgonda districts, she entered Mahabubnagar district, in which she already covered 11 assembly segments.
Sharmila said she had addressed 34 public meetings, participated in 91 interactive sessions and conducted 19 relay hunger strikes for the unemployed.
She also held 26 dharnas for farmers, organised one meeting each for weavers and drinking water issues in Mahabubnagar.
However, going by the field reports, Sharmila’s padayatra has not made much impact on the electorate and one wonders whether her hard work will pay any dividends for her in the next elections.
“Though Sharmila has been claiming that there is a tremendous response from the people to her meetings, it is obvious that she has not been able to play any Telangana card but is depending only on her father’s goodwill. One wonders how far it would help her achieve her goal,” an analyst said.