TIRUPATI: The venue of ruling TDP’s two-day Mahanadu, scheduled to be held here on May 27 and May 28, has generated a lot of heat among opposition parties and civic associations.
The Nehru Municipal School ground is located in the prime area where as many as four main hospitals are located. The SV RUIA government hospital, which is the only government general hospital located quite opposite to the present venue of Mahanadu. The Government Maternity hospital, the Children’s hospital, SV Medical College, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), and Sri Padmavathi Medical College are also located very close to the venue. The main road leads to Alipiri toll gate, where thousands of vehicles of pilgrims pass through. And for every 10 minutes, one 108 or 104 and other ambulances ply on the road, where the Mahanadu venue is located.
It was only on Thursday that TDP state president Kala Venkata Rao visited Nehru Municipal High School grounds and picked it as the Mahanadu venue. He later announced that it was the suitable place for the Mahanadu.
This is the third time that TDP is organising its mega event in Tirupati. The first time in 2003, when N Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister for the combined State, Mahanadu was held at Urban Haat (Silparamam) on the outskirts of the city. The second time, it was organised at Nehru Municipal School grounds, where the present Mahanadu is also scheduled to be held, when TDP was in the opposition in 2007.
As soon as the venue of Mahanadu was confirmed by TDP senior leaders, the CPM and other Left Party leaders and intellectuals of the city strongly objected to it. CITU district general secretary Kandarapu Murali said, that it was highly objectionable for the ruling party to hold its Mahanadu in the vicinity of a number of hospitals, which would create many traffic hurdles, where the municipal school grounds doesn`t have ample parking space. “The TDP leaders claim that around 10,000 delegates are likely to attend the programme, and there is every scope that many vehicles will be parked on the main road, which would also create traffic chaos for the vehicles moving towards Tirumala Hills,” he said. He demanded the TDP leadership to change its Mahanadu venue to some other place, outside the city, which would not create any problem to the people.
Meanwhile, according to TDP sources, there are some differences between senior leaders over the venue. It is learnt that forest minister B Gopalakrishna Reddy doesn’t favour the municipal grounds for the venue, because of its location. But, TDP MLC G Muddukrishnama Naidu has reportedly defended that the event should be the hot topic for people of the city, where civic polls are due.
Hospitals near the venue
Venues of Mahanadu held earlier
2003
First one at Urban Haat (Silparamam) on city outskirts
2007
Second at Nehru Municipal
School grounds
2016
Third scheduled at Nehru Municipal School grounds