Massive day-long dharnas, sloganeering, long-winding speeches and patient audience…. This is what one sees at YS Sharmila’s dharnas. Every Tuesday, she holds protests on the issue of unemployment at chosen spots. Huge crowds are seen at her meetings. But how is she able to attract such huge crowds to her protests?
The secret of her crowd-pulling ability is now finally out. These crowds are all hired crowd. A majority of those sitting at the venue have been brought on the promise of paying them their daily wages. These are all daily wagers, who have been promised food and emoluments.
On Tuesday, a large number of such crowds were brought for her dharna at Peerjadiguda in Medchal district. They were brought from the Canara Nagar Adda in Medipalli. But, some people were asked to go back after they reached the venue. Then they demanded their wages. The leaders refused to pay them as they were not needed. At this, the dailywagers staged a dharna demanding their wages. The commotion attracted the attention of the media.
On seeing this, party leader Raghava Reddy rushed to them and pacified them. He took them aside and requested them not to create a scene. He reportedly addressed their grievances and hushed up the matter. But by then the whole crowd-gathering strategies were out in the public.
