VIJAYAWADA: Cockfights and gambling went on unabated during the Sankranti festivities in Andhra Pradesh. Nearly a thousand crore was spent by punters.
Telugu Desam activists and others circulated video clippings of a casino at K Convention in Gudivada, alleging YSRC is bringing in the Goan culture of casinos into AP. The convention centre belongs to civil supplies minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao alias Nani.
It is for the first time that a casino has been opened for gamblers during the Sankranti festival, in addition to cockfight, gundata, number games and playing cards. Ticket for entry to the casino cost ₹10,000.
It was specially decorated with strobe lights with dances by youth to latest numbers and cheer girls around to entertain the guests. Bouncers from Hyderabad were engaged to ensure that none could carry mobile phones inside the casino. Entry was restricted only to gamblers.
According to sources, ministers, MLAs, MLCs and political leaders of ruling YSRC and opposition TDP joined cockfight arenas at various places. Former legislator Chintamaneni Prabhakar, MLA. P. Satish Kumar, former MLA D. Buchi Raju, minister Ch Venugopalakrishna, MLA Ch. Jaggi Reddy, legislator Suryanarayana Reddy and others could be seen at these arenas set up in Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari, West Godavari and other districts.
Huge masses of people were seen at a cockfight venue in Edupugallu in Krishna district. They bet from a few hundreds to lakhs on roosters. Cockfights were also organised in and around Vijayawada, including on Pipula road on outskirt of Vijayawada city, apart from Gudivada, Kaikaluru, Jaggayyapeta, Kondapalli, Edupugallu, Ampapuram, Moolapadu, Kotturu Tadepalli, Nuzvid, Nandigama, Chandarlapadu, Mopidevi, Avanigadda and other places in Guntur, two Godavari and other districts.
Significantly, organisers arranged food, accommodation and liquor for three days in connection with the cockfights, which attracted people from neighbouring Telangana and other states.
There was no impact of police warnings. Organisers faced no hurdle in making all the arrangements. There were, however, some symbolic raids by police though.
