YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced one more Padayatra ahead of the next elections. During a recent party meeting he said he would start it one and a half years before the polls. He hopes to tap public anger against the current government.
Earlier Jagan Mohan Reddy carried out a Padayatra before the 2019 elections. That campaign helped him secure a strong victory. He now hopes the same approach will work again in his favour.
In the Telugu States there is a belief that leaders who do Padayatra often reach power. YSR did one before 2004 and won. Chandrababu Naidu did it in 2013 and won in 2014.
Jagan also did a Padayatra before the 2019 elections and won. Lokesh did one in 2023 and TDP came to power in 2024. These examples have strengthened this popular belief among voters.
However there are also cases where Padayatra did not help. Sharmila did one for Jagan before the 2014 elections. YSR Congress still remained in the opposition.
Sharmila also did a Padayatra in Telangana before the 2023 elections. That too did not bring her party success. These cases show that a Padayatra alone does not guarantee victory.
Padayatra helps leaders connect with the public. It works as a strong campaign tool. But it does not ensure electoral success every time.
When Padayatras succeed people feel the leader is sincere. They feel the leader understands their problems. That emotional connect plays a major role in building trust.
The question now is whether Jagan’s Padayatra can create the same feeling. During his time in power he stayed away from the public. This distance has affected how people see him.
Many feel Jagan lost touch by staying in his palace for years. When leaders lose touch they start behaving like they are above the public. This creates resentment among people.
During his rule roads were blocked whenever he travelled. Police did not allow people to come near him. This made many feel disconnected from his leadership.
Jagan will do another Padayatra. But people know about his earlier Parada Yatra while he was in power. They may see this move as a desperate political step.
For the Padayatra to truly work Jagan will have to depend on strong anti incumbency against the Chandrababu Naidu government. That factor may decide the real impact of this campaign.
