Among the 12 star campaigners from a commoner background, four are former volunteers, who were restricted by ECI to not work for any party while on-duty.
The 'star campaigners' of YSRCP. (Supplied)
The ruling party YSRCP, led by incumbent Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has submitted a list of 37 campaigners for the upcoming elections on 13 May.
Among the 37 campaigners, a dozen are “commoners” who have benefited from YSRCP’s policies.
Of the 12 YSRCP star campaigners, two are farmers, four are homemakers, one is an auto driver, one is a tailor, and four were former volunteers.
One of the former volunteers, 27-year-old Gollapalli Srinu from the Bobbili constituency, is visually impaired.
The volunteers were restricted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) from working for any party while on duty. However, the ECI does not have such a ban on their post-resignation activities.
Star campaigners are typically top political leaders or film stars. However, in a break from tradition, YSRCP has designated a dozen beneficiaries as star campaigners.
There are no laws that define who can or cannot be a star campaigner. Recognised national or state parties can nominate up to 20 star campaigners. Even unrecognised registered political parties can also appoint up to 20 of them.
The expenses of these campaigners do not count toward the expenditure limits of ₹95 lakh for Lok Sabha constituencies and ₹40 lakh for Assembly constituencies.
According to party sources, the decision to nominate “commoners” aligned with Jagan’s earlier call for beneficiaries to support him.
This was also in contrast with the Opposition parties, which he claimed were backed by half a dozen ‘capitalists’.
The sources said, “There are many beneficiaries. However, these 12 were handpicked by the party because their stories are particularly impactful and unique.”
They also mentioned that the role of star campaigners was at the constituency level, where they would conduct door-to-door campaigns, participate in rallies, and support MLA campaigns.
Pandalaneni Siva Prasad from the Avanigadda Constituency in the Krishna district said he received a call from the YSRCP central office that surprised him.
He is a farmer with two sons. His eldest son Krishna Kishore received ₹50 lakh for two semesters under YSRCP’s foreign education welfare scheme, Jagananna Videshi Deevena.
This was why YSRCP handpicked Siva Prasad to represent the party in campaigns at the constituency level.
Siva Prasad explained to South First that his son secured admission to a postgraduate programme in Political Affairs at Columbia University in the United States. However, the course fee of ₹1.36 crore was daunting, to say the least.
He applied for a welfare scheme for financial assistance and received the required funds. So far, he has received ₹50 lakh for two semesters, and another year is left to complete the course.
Then there is Challa Eswari, a former government volunteer from the Mylavaram constituency who resigned to work for YS Jagan and has been named a star campaigner.
“I used to oversee around 65 houses [as a volunteer], and now when I visit their homes, I am received with the same respect as a public representative. I am doing door-to-door visits and participating in campaigns in my constituency,” she said.
Challa Eswari also benefits from government welfare schemes such as Amma Vodi, which deposits ₹13,000 of financial assistance in the bank account of students’ mothers.
Visually-impaired Gollapalli Srinu’s father is physically handicapped and he works in a bicycle shop. After completing his BCom, Srinu tried for a government job. Instead, he got a position as a government volunteer.
He was the first among his peers to resign to work for YSRCP in the Bobbili constituency. Now, Srinu campaigns door-to-door for the YSRP, taking the party’s manifesto to the people.
Speaking to South First, Srinu shared that despite being visually impaired, nothing has stopped him from delivering welfare schemes to the 57 households assigned to him.
“I’m well-known in my ward, and people come to me for any assistance they need. They know I won’t rest until their work is done,” he said.
“Maybe that’s why the party nominated me as a star campaigner,” he added.
Gangu Kalyani, a tailor from Srikakulam, is another beneficiary named as a star campaigner. Once, she shared at an event her positive views on these schemes with a local media channel, catching the attention of the constituency’s party leaders. A few days later, the party informed her that she had been chosen as a star campaigner, and she decided to support the campaign.
She said she benefited from YSRCP’s welfare schemes, receiving about ₹15 lakh so far.
Similarly, eight other beneficiaries have been selected as star campaigners: Sheik Sandani from Nellore, Janardhan Reddy from Nandyal, Rupani from Sri Sathya Sai, Paramjyoti from West Godavari, Katta Jagadish and Ramakrishna from Anakapalle, Syed Anwar from Nellore, and Arushabhattu Lakshmi from Rajahmundry.
(Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal)
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