When Public Trying To Escape From YCP Leaders Speeches

Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao was in for a rude shock when the audience, comprising women in a good number, began leaving the venue even as he began his speech in Srikakulam. Local YCP leaders mobilized a large number of women from all the wards in the Corporation limits for distribution of Aasara cheques. The programme was arranged at the Town Hall in Srikakulam district headquarters. A few moments after Dharmana started speaking at the mic, women began leaving the premises. Finding the gates closed, they tried to escape from the place by climbing down the walls. The women left the place even as the minister was continuing to speak.

The Aasara pension scheme is aimed at benefiting the old and infirm, widows and people with disabilities, toddy tappers, beedi workers, HIV patients, etc. In fact, the YCP leaders did not mobilise the real beneficiaries of the scheme but picked up the women from the economically weaker sections and made them sit in the Hall. Not able to find the minister’s speech interesting, the women left the place.

Significantly, the Opposition parties have been circulating such videos in the recent times. Ahead of the elections, there are many videos showing such embarrassing situations, specially of the ruling YCP leaders. There are videos wherein the audience at a public meeting addressed by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy himself were found leaving the grounds, even as he was delivering the speech.

Also, the audience seem to be having no patience to hear to what the public representatives are saying, which could mainly due to lack of ‘connect’ with the people and the elected representatives.

The YCP leaders mobilizing crowds to public meetings and rallies should also be careful in trying to identify the real beneficiaries of various schemes as they might be interested to hear about what more benefits they might be able to get in the future. The YCP leaders should be able to mobilise crowds in a ‘customized’ manner to fit to the occasion and requirement. Else, such scenes could repeat causing embarrassment and even tarnish the image of the party, raising several doubts about the welfare schemes being implemented by the ruling party.

In the wake of the criticism by the opposition leaders that a majority of the funds allocated for various welfare schemes are being diverted for other purposes, such incidents would only reinforce their suspicion.

It is time that the local YCP leaders be more precautious while identifying the audience for the party’s public meetings and other events.