Chandrababu Naidu takes road route to Andhra Pradesh

After a long wait brought about by the nationwide lockdown, Telugu Desam Party leader and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu finally made the crossover from Telangana on Monday.

Having taken the road route from Hyderabad to Amaravati after a last minute postponement of operations at airports in the state, he will participate in the 2-day Mahanadu or party conclave on zoom app.

Accompanied by his son Nara Lokesh, the TDP supremo entered AP by road as party supporters lined up along the roadside to welcome his entry to the state after almost 2 months. Stuck in Hyderabad due to the national lockdown, Naidu had previously tried to go to Visakhapatnam in the wake of the LG Polymers gas leakage mishap there last week.A He was finally granted the travel pass by the state government on Sunday. With flights set to resume on Monday, Naidu was supposed to fly to Visakhapatnam to meet the victims of the gas leak there and proceed hence to Amaravati. But a last minute postponement of operations at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada airports, to Tuesday, forced a change of plans.

TDP leaders accused the YSRCP led state government of postponing the operations at the two airports. Union minister for civil aviation Hardeep Puri had tweeted that the postponement of operations at the two airports was done on the request of the state government.

However, the enthusiasm of TDP supporters also saw breakdown of physical distancing norms at several places as they jostled to greet Chandrababu Naidu.

Meanwhile arrangements are being made to conduct the party's annual conclave through videoconferencing, on account of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Party sources said that close to 14000 party cadres would participate in the conclave, which Naidu will attend from the party office at Mangalagiri. The annual conclave coincides with the birth anniversary of party founder and former chief minister of undivided AP, late NT Rama Rao.

The conclave will discuss the political situation in the state and also pass resolutions signalling the party's strategy in the year ahead. The current situation in the state following the COVID-19 outbreak is expected to figure in the discussion.