Nimmada, a tiny village 50 km away from Srikakulam town, teemed with thousands of people, including political bigwigs, who travelled hundreds of kilometres to pay tributes to Telugu Desam heavyweight and popular leader Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu who died in a road accident on Friday.
Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari and son Lokesh, were among those who rushed to Nimmada and paid rich tributes to Yerran. The Naidus spent almost four hours with Yerrn’s family members, consoling them.
Earlier, Yerran’s mortal remains were taken from Srikakulam to his native village, Nimmada. Thousands of people, scores of leaders from all political parties rushed to the tiny village. The police, unable to control the mob under heavy rain, stopped the vehicles 2 km before Yerrn Naidu’s house.
It is estimated that the village received over 2,000 four-wheelers in just four hours’ time.
The TDP leaders who paid tributes to their beloved colleague included Nama Nageswara Rao, Errabilli Dayakara Rao, Nannapaneni Rajakumari, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Kala Venkta Rao, Motkupalli Narsimhulu, Tammineni Sitaram, Ch Ayyanna Patrudu, Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, Varla Ramayya, Narendra, B Krishna Reddy, Mandava Venkateswara Rao and several MLAs, former ministers, mayors and others.
Congress leader and Union minister of state for tourism K.Chiranjeevi, state ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and C.Ramachandraiah and several Congress MLAs also consoled Yerran’s family members.
A large number of people braved a heavy rain and waited for hours to have a last glimpse of their leader.
Not expecting such a heavy turnout of people, police deployed a few personnel at Yerran’s residence to control the mob. Chandrababu Naidu and other VIPs had to struggle their way to enter the house. Yerran’s son Ramu Naidu came rushing home from New Delhi and his daughter and son-in-law also rushed to Nimmada.
“I lost my right hand,’’ said a teary-eyed Chandrababu Naidu who suspended his padayatra in Mahbubnagar district to reach Nimmada.
He said Yerran worked for the party and people selflessly. “I always called him neta. The TDP lost a great leader. He had clear perception of people’s problems and solutions. He was a good non-vegetarian eater. I have lost a close friend,” said former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.