Jagan to tour Telangana

• Meets district-level leaders in T region
• Public meeting in Khammam on March 4
• CPM, its ally, has considerable sway there
• ‘Odarpu Yatra’ from the following day

Hyderabad: The YSR Congress Party is making all-out efforts to revive its political fortunes in the Telangana region. In an attempt to test the waters, its president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has so far been campaigning against bifurcation, has decided to hold a public meeting at Khammam on March 4. This meeting assumes importance in the wake of reports that YSRCP is likely to have poll tie-up with the CPM which has hold in the Khammam area.

A day later, he will take up ‘Odarpu Yatra’ from Nalgonda. This decision was taken here on Monday after Jagan held a meeting with district coordinators from Telangana districts where the party leaders are learnt to have suggested that he take up the ‘Odarpu Yatra’ which was left midway following the Telangana agitation in the past.

Jagan proposes to tour all the nine districts of the region and meet about 250 families. It is also being speculated that the party after constituting the Telangana unit will ask Sharmila to head the Telangana unit.

This decision of YSRCP came in for sharp criticism from TRS leader T Harish Rao who said “It is Jagan who needs Odarpu not the people.” Rebutting this comment, YSR party leaders said that in a democratic set-up every citizen is free to tour any part of the country. Difference of opinion in politics need not refrain political parties to carry out their respective agenda.

Since a decision has been taken on Telangana, the party would now focus on development, they said.

On TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu’s oft-repeated remarks that since there was a tie-up with Congress, YSRCP was going soft on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the party said “it is Naidu who has been saving Congress at the Centre and in the State and he has been carrying out orders from 10 Janpath.”