VIJAYAWADA: TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh’s Yuva Galam Padayatra on Tuesday entered the Mangalagiri Assembly constituency, from where he lost his electoral battle in 2019.
As he reached Nidamarru, Lokesh was given a rousing reception by the TDP rank and file, while the local people lined up on the streets and waited for a couple of hours to have a glimpse of the TDP leader. Recalling that Lokesh visited Nidamarru thrice during his electioneering in 2019, a TDP sympathiser said he stood with them when the local authorities tried to demolish some houses in the village.
“The TDP is still strong in some of the villages of the constituency and it may tilt the result in favour of Lokesh in the next elections,’’ said Sambasiva, a tenant farmer, who cultivates flowers in one acre of land. But what makes Sambasiva believe Lokesh bounces back even as the ruling YSRC is going all out with its welfare mantra? “The land prices have fallen drastically and people are not happy with it,’’ he said, adding that Lokesh had not forgotten the people of Mangalagiri even after losing the seat.
In his 50s, Valluri Haragopal of Nutakki, waving the TDP flag said, “The YSRC MLA is certainly facing anti-incumbency factor and people are looking towards Lokesh. It is an undeniable fact that some people are angry with the YSRC government for increasing liquor prices abnormally.’’
Haragopal came all the way from Nutakki to participate in the padayatra along with his fellow villagers in nearly 10 tractors and a similar number of autos. When asked whether they were paid for it, he replied in negative. “Our village, though having a considerable Reddy population, always supports the TDP and the yellow party got more votes than the YSRC in the last elections,’’ Haragopal claimed.
Lokesh, who held the national flag during his walkathon, covered 10.3 km on Tuesday, completing a total length of 2,486.3 km. Lokesh was seen waving to the crowd and sometimes talking to a few, besides interacting with various sections of people.
Some people, who waited for long to have a glimpse of Lokesh, rued that they could not even have a look at him in the large crowd. “He should have climbed atop an open jeep so that we could see him clearly. The huge posse of policemen and volunteers are only visible,’’ said a woman, who tried to give a handshake to Lokesh, but could not do so due to the crowd. Drum beats, DJ songs and TDP slogans kept the party cadres upbeat throughout the Yuva Galam yatra in the village.