The CPI while struggling hard to makes its presence felt in Andhra Pradesh, which was considered to be its fortress few decades ago, is now coming out with a new strategy of reaching out weaker sections on its own. It is now proposing a `Bus Yatra’ covering all 175 constituencies in the state, starting from January 26.
For the last many decades, both the communist parties in the united Andhra Pradesh getting considerable number of MLAs by allaying with one or other party. But for the first time, no party preferred left parties in the state during last elections. As a result, for the first time after Independence, left failed to have even a single MLA in the state assembly.
After coming to the conclusion that weaker sections like Dalits, Minorities and those who are dependent on various trades are blindly following TDP and YSRCP in the state, CPI feels it was time to tap these sections and create an alternative platform for them by the time the state goes to polls in 2019.
The 40-days bus yatra covering 175 kms starts from Itchapuram of Srikakulam district and concludes in Hindupuram of Anantapur district. Though the party had taken up many bus yatras in the past, this time they have been trying to rope in the support of various Dalit groups, Minority groups and social organizations and have formed Samajika Hakkula Vedika (Forum for Social Justice).
State secretary K Ramakrishna said that the focus of the bus yatra would be on how the government was neglecting important sectors like education, health and welfare of SC, ST, BCs and minorities. During the yatra, the forum members will cover all the 175 assembly constituencies and will interact with farmers, weavers, people involved in various other trades and tribals affected by Polavaram project particularly the small and tenant farmers who had lost their land but could not get rehabilitation package promised by the government.
