There seems to more to the postponement of YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s padayatra than what meets the eye.
While a section of media speculated that Jagan had deferred his padayatra, scheduled from October 27, because it was not an auspicious day and the astrologers had advised him to postpone it by a week or two, another section of the media reported that Jagan was planning to move the Supreme Court to seek exemption from personal appearance in the trial court in his alleged illegal assets case and that he would take a decision one he gets a favourable decision from the Supreme Court.
However, inquiries revealed that Jagan’s padayatra was facing severe resource crunch. It requires huge money for making arrangements for his padayatra – including food, mobilisation of crowds, campaigning in the areas well in advance, propagation of Jagan’s Nava Ratna schemes and other logistic arrangements.
While Jagan himself is in tough position placed in terms of finances, because of the probes by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate which had virtually tightened his spending, the party leaders are reluctant to take out money from their pockets. In fact, it is no uncommon for the party leaders who are expecting tickets to contest the next elections to spend their money before the elections. But these leaders seem to be not sure of Jagan coming to power and hence, they do not want to spend their money.
Apparently, Jagan will take out the padayatra once he is comfortable with funds, mobilised by the party. Otherwise, he can start off his tour in a simple way and once people start responding to his tour, funds will automatically flow, say party well-wishers.
