The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which has been hired by YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy again to help rebuild the party image, is said to be facing a peculiar situation in the party.
According to sources, the party leaders are not happy with Jagan re-engaging I-PAC team led by Rishi Raj Singh, as they believe it was the main culprit for the party’s debacle in the last assembly elections.
“It was Rishi and his team, who were responsible for misguiding the party president with hollow slogans like “Why Not 175” and “Siddham” etc. They failed to present the real picture at the grassroot level and suggest measures to win the confidence of the people,” a senior party leader said.
He also pointed out that because of the I-PAC team’s suggestions and that of other core team members like Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy that Jagan had dropped several sitting MLAs and changed the constituencies of several others, which led to the ultimate collapse of the party.
Now, when the same I-PAC team is back in Jagan’s camp giving him advices and suggesting strategies, many YSRCP leaders are not able to digest. So they have stopped accepting these suggestions and caring a damn for these strategists.
“Let them continue to give whatever suggestions they want to Jagan, but we are not going to follow them. We shall go by our own strategies depending on the local needs. Of course, Jagan is the ultimate authority, but the I-PAC team members cannot dictate terms to us, as they did in the past,” the party leader said.
The party leaders are of the view that instead of wasting money on strategists like I-PAC by paying them crores of rupees, it would be better if Jagan holds one-one-one meeting with experienced district leaders to understand the ground realities and plan the programmes accordingly.
“Unfortunately, he still believes in I-PAC and leaders like Sajjala and Chevireddy, who never allow the factual position reach Jagan,” the party leader regretted.
