ELURU: The stage on which a set of Telugu Desam leaders were perched for a public meeting late on Friday evening collapsed due to heavy gales, at Bathulavarigudem in Nuziveedu mandal of Eluru district.
TD Nuziveedu constituency incharge Venkateswara Rao organised the meeting with the slogan, ‘Guarantee to the AP Future.’ Several senior TD leaders participated in a rally at Nuziveedu followed by the public meeting at Bathulavarigudem.
Former deputy chief minister and Peddapuram MLA China Rajappa, former minister Peethala Sujatha, former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar, former MP Maganti Babu, Venkateswara Rao and other leaders were present on the dais.
When China Rajappa was holding forth, the stage collapsed all of a sudden. Rajappa fell down from the stage. Other leaders on their chairs too sank along with the stage. Several of them suffered injuries and some have fractures to their bones.
Rajappa, in his speech, was explaining how the state government headed by Jagan Reddy hiked power charges while the prices of essential commodities have also gone up abnormally. The women were deeply concerned over this, he said.
As soon as the dais collapsed, the TD cadre among the audience rushed forward and rescued the leaders.
Rajappa later told Deccan Chronicle that he rushed with mild injuries to Rajamahendravaram for treatment in a private hospital. The other leaders were admitted to a private hospital at Nuziveedu.
Earlier, Denduluru former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar told the media that he was ready to sacrifice his seat if Pawan Kalyan wanted to contest from Denduluru constituency.
