It was only a few weeks ago that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Jagan Mohan Reddy hired top election strategist Prashant Kishor and his organisation I-PAC or Indian Political Action Committee.
But it seems the YSRCP isn’t happy with just strategy and a party leader has started a two year long yagam to appease the gods. The 'Maha Rudra Sahita Sahasra Chandi Yagam' at Nagole in Hyderabad is being performed by 20 priests is likely to go on till 2019.
The yagam, according to YSRCP sources, is to help Jagan fulfill his aspiration of becoming the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, there were reports in the Telugu media that he believed IPAC would help him become CM for 30 years!
YSRCP senior leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who started the yagam, was present at the venue when it started in the last week of July.
The ritual was started by Aarimalla Vijaya Sarada Reddy and Varaprasada Reddy, under the guidance of Vedic scholar Sivarama Prasada Sharma according to reports.
In the last few days, the yagam venue has seen an inflow of leaders and Jagan fans.
MP YV Subba Reddy who attended the yagam on the second day said, “The yagam has been initiated by Sivarama Prasada Sharma to bring happiness and pleasure to people in the state. He says this will continue for two years. And of course, to bring happiness for people of AP, we a strong leader like Jagan".
The yagam’s chief priest Sivarama Prasada Sharma said, "We are doing this due to our affection towards YS Rajasekhara Reddy who helped many temples. The state bifurcated in a peaceful way and now good things should happen. With the 'sankalpa' (ambition) of Jagan becoming the next Chief Minister, I have started this yagam after consulting several people,” he told TV channel TV9.
But the TDP is siniggering at YSRCP for its yagam.
TDP MLC, Budda Venakanna ,took potshots at Jagan Mohan Reddy and said that contrary to initial reports that the yagam was being done to usher in rains, it was actually only to help Jagan’s political ambitions.
The yagam has also irked rationalists, who have accused politicians of lowering scientific temperament.
T Ramesh, National General Secretary of the Janavignana Vedika told TNM that the yagam was a foolish move.
“They should know that people will only vote based on their work and policies, and not because of any yagam,” he said.
He went on to add, "This (Telangana) CM will do yagam with 1000 priests and that (AP) CM will do yagam in Amaravathi. They will also organize Pushkarams in a haphazard way claiming the lives of people. This is why we need politics and politicians with scientific values".
In 2016, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had conducted a Satha Sahasra Chandi Yagam (equivalent to one lakh Chandi Yagams)
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