Rahul Gandhi starts Andhra visit with prayers at Tirupati, to address rally later

india

Updated: Feb 22, 2019 14:52 IST

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday started a visit to the famous hill shrine in Tirumala before launching his party’s campaign in Andhra Pradesh for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election this summer with a rally in the temple town.

Rahul Gandhi left for Alipiri, the foothills of Tirumala, in a convoy of cars. From Alipiri, he climbed up the seven hills on foot to reach the temple town to offer prayers to Lord Venkateshwara.

It is Gandhi’s maiden visit to Tirumala as the Congress president.

Rahul Gandhi landed at Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta in a special aircraft at 11am along with his nephew Raihan Vadra.

The former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Congress MP T Subbarami Reddy, former lawmaker Chinta Mohan and several other senior Congress leaders accorded a rousing welcome to the Congress president.

After having the darshan of the Lord, Rahul Gandhi would return to Tirupati by road and garland the statue of anti-caste activist Jyotirao Phule in the heart of the town. From there, he would go in a procession up to Taraka Rama Stadium in Sri Venkateshwara University campus, where he would address a rally.

The Tirupati rally is a culmination of week-long “Pratyeka Hoda Bharosa Yatra”, a tour of the party leaders to assure the people about granting the special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

It was at this same venue where Narendra Modi had announced in April 2014 that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would grant the special category status for a period of ten years to the state if is elected.

“After becoming the Prime Minister, Modi completely ignored his promise and rejected the special category status to AP,” president of Congress’ state unit N Raghuveera Reddy said.

“From the present rally, Rahul would send a message across to the people of the state that the Congress, if voted to power, would fulfil its promise on special category status, as resolved in the Congress Working Committee,” Reddy said.

Gandhi is also expected to raise several other issues including the recent terrorist attack on CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14.