Naidu Begins Padayatra From Hindupur

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday, began his 117-day long padayatra from Hindupur of Anantapur district.

Before proceeding to Hindupur, Naidu, accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari and son Lokesh, visited NTR ghat and paid floral tributes to the samadhi of N T Rama Rao. Later, he also garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at MG Road in Secunderabad, on the ocassion of Gandhi Jayanthi on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said that Mahatma Gandhi's life story and his sacrifices for the poor were a role model for the entire world. He said that the Mahatma's contribution is hailed not only by Indians but also the entire world, since he had used the weapon of Satyagraha as the more volatile and non-violent democratic tool to protest against injustice.

The TDP president took a flight to Bangalore, and then reached Hindupur by road. He began his padayatra after performing a pooja at Nugur Anjaneya Swamy temple. His family members also performed a Sri Laxmi Ganapathi homam at his ancestral home in Naravaripally.

The party's students' wing offered 108 coconuts to Lord Balaji, while the Mahila wing offered special prayers.

Naidu will walk about 2,340 kilometres, covering 16 districts of the state, in the next 117 days. The padayatra will most likely to conclude on January 26 next year.

Naidu believes that through his padayatra, which is christened as "Vastunna Mee Kosam", he will be able to study the problems being faced by different sections of the society and solve them is he comes to power in the next elections.

The Hindupur seat was represented by TDP founder NTR three times, and TDP leaders believe that the sentiment would bring the party back to power in the next elections.

Naidu is likely to cover two Rayalaseema districts, eight Telangana districts and six coastal Andhra districts in the next 117 days. (INN)