Lokesh pays tributes to NTR ahead of 4,000 km-long padyatra

Hyderabad, Jan 25:  Telugu Desam Party (TDP) general secretary Nara Lokesh left for Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday to launch his 4,000 km-long padyatra after paying tributes to party founder and grandfather N.T. Rama Rao in Hyderabad.

Lokesh took blessings of his father and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, mother N. Bhuvaneswari and maternal uncle and father-in-law N. Balakrishna at his residence in Jubilee Hills here.

The TDP leader then left for NTR Ghat in a rally. He offered floral tributes at NTR Ghat on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake in the city.

Lokesh later left for Kadapa district, where he will offer prayers at Ameen Peer dargah. He will then leave for Tirupati to offer prayers at Tirumala temple on Thursday before proceeding to Kuppam in Chittoor district to launch the padyatra on January 27.

Titled 'Yuvagalam' (youth's voice), the padyatra will cover 120 Assembly constituencies over the next 400 days across the state.

Chittoor district police on Tuesday granted permission for the padayatra with certain conditions.

Lokesh, son of TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, is scheduled to launch a 4,000 km long padayatra from Kuppam in Chittoor district on January 27.

District Superintendent of Police Y. Rishanth Reddy granted conditional permission for the march.

The permission came after days of uncertainty in view of the ban imposed early this month on conduct of meetings on roads.

The SP directed the organisers to abide by the timings fixed for the public meetings. He made it clear that the meetings should not be held on roads.

The organisers have been asked to ensure that the public and private property are not damaged. The police prohibited use of firecrackers during padyatra. TDP workers and participants have been directed not to carry any weapons. The SP directed the organisers to arrange first aid and ambulance at the venue of the meeting to attend to any health emergency.

TDP's Andhra Pradesh unit president K. Atchannaidu has said that the conditions imposed for Lokesh's padyatra reflect Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government's sense of insecurity. He stated that the TDP leader's padyatra will be a death knell for YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rule.

He alleged that the government is trying to create hurdles for the padyatra.