Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been granted police permission to visit Chittoor district on the 9th of this month, but with stringent restrictions in place. This has sparked widespread speculation about whether the recent Rentapalli episode could be repeated during this visit.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had applied for permission for Jagan’s planned visit to the Bangarupalyam market yard, where he intends to meet Totapuri mango farmers. The party also requested robust security arrangements, expecting a massive turnout of around 10,000 farmers and party workers.
But though the police have cleared the visit, they have put a cap of only 500 persons on the gathering owing to space limitations. Rallies and roadshows have also been banned during the event, raising questions about how YSRCP will plan to cope with these restrictions.
The authorities cited past instances when huge crowds and convoy blockades led to disruptions during Jagan’s previous visits as the reason for these prohibitions. In spite of all these issues, Jagan still attracts massive crowds wherever he moves, his popularity being very much in evidence during his latest visit to the Mirchi Yard in Guntur.
On the June 18 visit to Rentapalli, Jagan had covered nearly 110 kilometers from Tadepalli, a trip that lasted almost ten hours in the face of repeated blockades by party loyalists, says YSRCP sources. The police had permitted only three vehicles and around 100 individuals for that visit. Section 30 was invoked to manage the crowd, and some check posts were also set up along the route. When YSRCP leaders allegedly dismantled these barricades, charges were filed against them. Furthermore, about 113 people from Guntur district were booked for holding rallies defying rules.
A similar scenario unfolded ahead of Jagan’s proposed Nellore visit, where police denied permission for rallies, prompting the former CM to cancel the trip. For the upcoming Chittoor visit, Jagan aims to organize a large rally-like event at the mango yard and had sought permission for 10,000 attendees. However, recalling past experiences, police have capped attendance at just 500.
The spotlight now is on how the YSRCP will navigate these restrictions. With police approval in hand, the party is expected to plan a powerful and well-coordinated display of strength during Jagan’s Chittoor visit, reinforcing their political presence ahead of upcoming events.
