Vijayawada: All was set for the grand launch of the 4,000-km walkathon styled as Yuva Galam by Telugu Desam general secretary Nara Lokesh from his family bastion, Kuppam.
The opposition Telugu Desam is pinning high hopes on the walkathon, that Lokesh would re-catapult the TD back to power just as some other leaders had in the past rode into power after such Yatras.
Lokesh would start from R&B guest house in Kuppam at 10.15am. After performing special prayers in the Varada Raja Swamy temple, a mosque and the Hebron house of worship, he would embark on the Yuva Galam by garlanding statues of NTR, BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sriramulu at 12.45pm.
Lokesh would make his first speech of the tour at 3pm behind the HP Petrol Pump in Kuppam. He would walk 8.5 km on the first day and continue the walk in Kuppam constituency on the next two days.
The TD leader would cover nearly 125 assembly constituencies in 400 days, covering 4,000km.
Political analysts say public image is important for a politician. Once an image is formed, it is difficult to erase it. Rajiv Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi and Chandraabu's son Nara Lokesh had been branded as Pappu (novice) by their opponents and this was their own undoing. “They came up with silly posts and became a laughingstock in front of all.”
They recalled that NTR's Rathayatra, Advani's Rathayatra, YSR's Padayatra, Chandrababu Naidu Padayatra and Jagan's Padayatra brought them to power in the past.
Telugu cine actor and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, the father-in-law of Lokesh, would join the launch event in Kuppam on Friday.
TD president K. Atchannaidu, TD MLAs, party in-charges of 175 assembly constituencies and 25 Parliament segments as also leaders, activists, sympathisers and supporters would attend the first day of the Yuva Galam march.
TD AP president Atchannaidu and other leaders said that during this 400-day long yatra, TD has provided an opportunity for all the prominent people to interact and connect. Everyone can participate through https://yuvagalam.com/ by giving a missed call to 96862 96862.
