VIJAYAWADA: The stage is set for Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan’s Varahi Yatra, which will commence on June 14. After offering prayers at Sri Satyanarayana Swamy temple in Annavaram, Pawan Kalyan will start his yatra on Wednesday.
Varahi’s first stop will be at Kathipudi junction in Prathipadu Assembly constituency, where he will address a public meeting, which is expected to set the tempo for his yatra covering important Assembly constituencies in Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari and West Godavari districts in the first phase.
Besides interacting with the party rank and file and preparing them for the ballot battle ahead, the JSP chief will also interact with people from different sections of society in every constituency.He will also hold the Janavani programme to receive petitions from the people, seeking redressal of their grievances. Later, the grievances will be taken to the notice of the authorities concerned to get them redressed.
Varahi Yatra, which is a poll campaign of JSP commencing in Godavari delta, the stronghold of the Kapu community, is most likely to firm up its vote base among the community and improve the poll prospects of the party, observed those in the know of things. They pointed out that the Kapu community in Godavari districts at present is divided into three groups, with each favouring the ruling YSRC, TDP and JSP respectively.
Will Varahi Yatra help unite these groups under JSP? To this question, several JSP leaders from Godavari districts exuded confidence that it will happen. Pawan Kalyan, who unsuccessfully contested from Bhimavaram in West Godavari district in the last election, seems to be determined to rewrite the history and emerge victorious in 2024. The party has more cadre in Godavari region compared to other places and his present yatra is a confidence building measure, said party sources.
Earlier, JSP Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar held a meeting with party’s district incharge Kandula Durgesh and other leaders from Godavari districts and the schedule of Varahi Yatra first phase was outlined. As per the schedule, Pawan Kalyan will spend two days in each Assembly constituency on the route of Varahi Yatra and every morning he will have an interaction with people from different sections of the society to get the first hand information of the ground situation and the issues that need immediate focus.
The first leg of Varahi Yatra will cover Prathipadu, Pithapuram, Kakinada Urban, Kakinada Rural, Mummidivaram, Amalapuram, P Gannavaram, Razole, Narasapuram and Bhimavaram constituencies. Puja was performed to Varahi on Tuesday evening after the conclusion of two-day yagam organised by Pawan Kalyan for the well-being of people. About 10,000 JSP activists are expected to have darshan of Lord Satyanarayana Swamy at Annavaram on Wednesday along with the JSP chief.
Though police have accorded permission for the public meeting at Kathipudi, JSP leader Durgesh said they made them wait till the eleventh hour. He also found fault with police for imposing Section 30 in all the Assembly constituencies, which are scheduled to be covered by Varahi Yatra.
Meeting schedule
June 14 Kathipudi (Prathipadu Assembly constituency)
June 16 Pithapuram
June 18 Kakinada (Kakinada Urban)
June 20 Mummidivaram
June 21 Malkipuram (Razole)
June 23 Narasapuram
‘All permissions obtained for yatra’
Though police have accorded permission for the public meeting at Kathipudi, JSP leader Durgesh said they made them wait till the eleventh hour. For yatra, all necessary permissions have been obtained, he said