A year and three months into governance, the YSR Congress has set itself the task of reinvigorating the party.
Within months of storming into power, the party launched a string of welfare schemes, enacted several legislations and took revolutionary decisions to decentralise administration, but a sense of disillusionment seems to be setting in among the cadres.
Most of them feel that they have not been accommodated either in the government or in the party organisational structure. The cadres had worked relentlessly for ten years, but now they do not have much to do as the party is in the driver’s seat. Most districts have no functional offices either.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in March and the subsequent lockdown had further widened the gap between the Ministers and MLAs and the cadre.
Sensing the mood, the core team is now focusing on strengthening the organisational structure, activating all party units at the district/mandal/village levels and take welfare schemes to the doorstep of people.
First move
Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy made the first move by appointing Lella Appireddy as party general secretary, a post previously held by Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy. A close confidant of the Chief Minister, Mr. Appireddy had been waiting in the wings for over a year. Right from day one, Mr. Appireddy has been meeting party workers, and supporters at the party central office at Tadepalli.
Mr. Jagan followed this up by appointing five senior leaders as regional coordinators. Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy will handle party affairs in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts. TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy will handle East Godavari and West Godavari districts. Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao looks after Krishna and Guntur districts. Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor districts are handled by Vemireddy Prabhakara Reddy and Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy is the regional coordinator for Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts.
Mr. Appireddy’s mandate is to establish communication channels with local leaders. The party is also set to break a new ground by appointing chairpersons and directors to all 54 BC corporations before month-end.
With the local body elections round the corner, the leadership expects that the organisational jig would fetch the party massive dividends.
