The Hindu : Ticket aspirants try to catch Naidu's eye

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ticket aspirants try to catch Naidu's eye

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, FEB. 15. Pedalling a 2.5-km stretch of road along with others, including, the City Police Commissioner, A.B. Venkateswara Rao, the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, wrapped up the week-long `janda panduga' programme with an impressive cycle rally here on Sunday.

With several aspirants of the party ticket determined to draw the attention of the Chief Minister, the bicycle rally turned out to be a tumultuous affair. Mr. Naidu also seemed very much satisfied with the show.

Arriving an hour behind schedule, Mr. Naidu, who landed by his copter at the Zilla Parishad School Grounds at Patamata, drove straight to the NTR Statue. After garlanding it, he hopped onto a yellow-coloured bicycle to lead the rally with an array of party leaders following him. Sporting a yellow shirt, white trousers and matching sports shoes, Mr. Naidu was cheered lustily by hordes of people who lined up on either side of the road from Patamata to the Swaraj Maidan Grounds. Riding yellow coloured bicycles, specially arranged for the occasion by the party's former MP, Gadde Ramamohan, the Agriculture Minister, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, the Fisheries Minister, N. Narasimha Rao, the Mayor, P. Anuradha, the former MLA, Adusimilli Jayaprakash, the TDP's district convenor, T.D. Janardhan Rao, the in-charge of Vijayawada West Assembly constituency, K. Nagul Meera, and a host of others followed the Chief Minister in the rally.

While Mr. Naidu appeared to be cycling effortlessly flashing `V' symbol, his Ministerial colleagues and other party leaders found it difficult to keep pace with him.

Ms. Anuradha was the lone party leader who managed to accompany the TDP chief up to the public meeting venue. Mr. Naidu stopped at Labbipet to pat a kid who came out with his father to wave the party flag to cheer the Chief Minister.

Women, youth and girls, in large numbers, waved at Mr. Naidu, who appeared to be only too elated to reciprocate. But, it was the police, including the Commissioner, who had a tough time in watching the rally with a hawk's eye and keep people from coming closer to the VVIP cyclist. In fact, the city police chief displayed an unusual spectacle of jogging his way behind Mr. Naidu throughout the rally till it culminated in a public meeting at the PWD Grounds. Huge cut-outs of Mr. Naidu, yellow flags, banners and festoons were put up by party leaders all through the way.

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