YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy rode into Armoor town on Tuesday night with ease as the threat by the Telangana protagonists to obstruct his maiden yatra to Nizamabad district proved a damp squib.
His passage to this fertile region of Telangana was so trouble-free that the Kadapa MP deviated from his original route on the national highway. He also stopped at numerous places to greet party workers and, as a result, reached Armoor, 25 km from Nizamabad, 10 hours behind schedule to launch his two-day fast in support of the farmer's issue. His visit was quite in contrast to the recent tour of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to Warangal district when Telugu Desam and TRS cadres confronted each other at several places.
Addressing a large gathering on the first day of his fast, Mr. Jagan flayed the Congress government for being totally oblivious to the problems of farmers and doing precious little to solve them like lack of financial support and fall in the prices of their produce. Some students raised slogans when Mr. Jagan and actor Roja were addressing the crowd.
Unprecedented security cover provided by the police to the YSR Congress president's convoy and the preventive arrests of TRS leaders largely contributed to the peaceful tour. TRS MLA T. Harish Rao was picked up by police which deterred his party cadre from coming onto the streets. But there were no protests even in the Telangana party's strongholds like Ramayampet, Medak and Kamareddy.
There were stray incidents of stone pelting, hurling of tomatoes and eggs at a few places. Some students of ITI at Medchal indulged in flash attack by hurling footwear and stones at the convoy. In Mandapur village in Chinna Shankarampet mandal in Medak district, some unidentified persons threw burning tyres on Chegunta-Medak road, when Mr. Jagan's convoy took a detour to visit the historic CSI Medak Church.
He received a rousing welcome on entering Nizamabad district at Baswapur, the native village of Gampa Goverdhan, former MLA, and in Dharmaram B village, native place of TDP legislator Mandava Venkateswara Rao.
The YSRCP leader had to halt as party workers forced him to get out of the vehicle and greet them. At some places, Congress workers joined the party in the presence of Mr. Jagan. Notable among them were former MP Gaddam Ganga Reddy and former Minister S. Santosh Reddy.
