Andhra Pradesh: TDP, YSR Congress begin massive membership drives ahead of election
Both the parties have started massive membership drives across the state to strengthen themselves and unite supporters before the decisive election.
In Short
- TDP, YSRC organise massive membership drives ahead of elections.
- Both the parties have undertaken door-to-door campaigns.
- The election will decide the fate of both Naidu and Reddy
Although the state election of Andhra Pradesh is a long way, both the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and opposition YSR Congress are gearing up for the crucial poll battle. The election will decide the fate of both party chiefs namely Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Both the parties have started massive membership drives across the state to strengthen themselves and unite supporters before the decisive election.
While Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched 'Intintiki TDP' (TDP to every house) programme from the first week of September, the opposition leader and chief of YSRCP, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched "YSR Kutumbam" (family of YSR). The door to door campaigns began on September 11 and will continue up to October 2.
The door to door campaign "YSR Kutumbam" was launched on the eighth death anniversary of late Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh YS Rajshekhar Reddy who is also father of Party Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and with an aim to reach more than 1 crore households across the state directly through 4.3 lakh trained party workers.
During the launch of YSR Kutumbam, Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a mobile number 91210-91210, on which one can give a missed call and enroll themselves. Party has also launched a website where also one can register as a member.
According to YSR Congress, the membership drive has witnessed a little over 36 per cent of the registration in the party's stronghold Rayalseema region which includes Kadappa, Anantapur, Kurnool and Chittoor district. Incidentally, both TDP and YSRCP Chief comes from Rayalseema.
REGISTRATIONS GALORE
"About 5,42,504 new members have registered from Anantapur while a total of 38 lakh registrations have been done within the span of 11 days since the commencement of YSR Kutumbam. East Godavari and Guntur accounts for nearly 23 per cent of the total number of registration while Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts of Northern Andhra Pradesh has witnessed 16 per cent of total number of registration," said a source while sharing data with India Today.
It is interesting to note that the party, run by 44-year-old Jagan Reddy, recently hired political strategist Prashant Kishore (PK) and his I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee). Jagan is also scheduled to undertake a six month-long 3000-km statewide Padyatra, starting October 27 from his ancestral village of Idupulapaya in Kadapa district.
Recently, the opposition party felt massive jolt by TDP as it lost Nandyal by election and also faced defeat in Kakinada Municipal election.