VISAKHAPATNAM: The just concluded three-day visit of TDP supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu to Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts has given the much-needed morale boost to the party rank and file. Naidu’s roadshows as part of the Idemi Karma Mana Rashtraniki protest at Pendurthi, S Kota and Anakapalle evoked a good response from people. Since the 2024 elections are a do-or-die battle for the TDP, the party has chalked out various programmes well ahead in the segments, which were its strongholds earlier, to regain its strength.
In a calculated move, the three constituencies, where the TDP lost in the last Assembly elections, were chosen for Naidu’s roadshows. Naidu sounded the poll bugle and appealed to people to get ready for the ensuing elections.
The TDP, which smelt positive signals after its victory in the elections to the North Andhra Graduates MLC Constituency, has plans to hold a series of party programmes in the next few months. The turnout at Naidu’s roadshows has even surprised TDP leaders, who claimed that they did not make any efforts to mobilise people. After so many years, maybe after the padayatra Naidu ahead of the 2014 elections, the TDP meetings drew such large gatherings, they said.
During the three-day visit, Naidu interacted with TDP cadres and leaders in the morning and participated in meetings with various sections of society. He heard their grievances and promised to solve them so as to strike a chord with them.
Speaking to TNIE Visakhapatnam TDP parliamentary district president Palla Srinivasa Rao said they were initially apprehensive about the turnout at Naidu’s roadshows. But contrary to their expectations, people turned up for Naidu’s meetings in large numbers. The turnout increased with every passing meeting as Anakapalle roadshow witnessed the maximum number of people compared to the meetings at S Kota and Pendurthi.
“The recent North Andhra Graduates Constituency MLC election witnessed a silent voting and even they did not expect such a result,” the TDP leader said. The TDP supremo will cover all the rural Assembly constituencies in the combined Visakhapatnam district and also urban segments in the city in the next phase, which will be announced after TDP Mahanadu at Rajamahendravaram.