Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu’s Vastunna Meekosam yatra has evoked poor response from the public and party leaders in the district.
On the first day of the yatra on Thursday, none of the party’s constituency in-charges was found accompanying Naidu during his walkathon from Basara to Mudhole. His roadshows have also failed to attract people.
As for party leaders, they say that Naidu’s U-turn on the Telangana issue after Union home minister P Chidambaram’s December 9, 2009 statement has weakened the party in the district.
Speaking to Express, a senior leader of the party said on the condition of anonymity that several constituency in-charges and their followers were not taking part in Naidu’s yatra. “In the last three years several TDP MLAs have joined the TRS,” he said. “Naidu is moving in Telangana without articulating the party’s stance on Telangana. While interacting with IIIT students at Basara, he ducked questions on the state’s bifurcation issue,” the leader said. “Naidu is promising to waive farmers’ loans. During his nine-year rule, he just rescheduled crop loans but never waived them,” recalls C.Rajeswar, a farmer belonging to Kouta village.
“During Naidu’s rule, bankers forcefully took away our electric motors and cattle when we could not repay crop loans. Now, he promises nine-hour power to farmers if voted to power but how can we believe in him?’’ asks Narsimlu, another farmer.