Vijayawada: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden roadshow in the political capital of AP here on Wednesday night was a big hit. The show was held from the IGMC stadium to the Benz Circle, to the accompaniment of Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan.
The road show was in support of the NDA candidates for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Later, the Prime Minister held a brief meeting with Naidu and Pawan to discuss the election prospects.
Flanked by Naidu and Pawan Kalyan in a top-open vehicle, Modi waved at the cheering crowds by, at times, raising both his hands. Naidu and Pawan Kalyan responded to people's cheers with folded hands.
Large throngs were present on both sides of the Bandar Road to hail the three leaders.
Every inch of space was filled with the public along the Bandar road. TD, BJP and JS rank and file stood even on the footpaths, front spaces of shops and on buildings to cheer the three. Some people were carrying flags of their parties as also placards in their hands.
The big attraction was a group of women walking ahead of the leaders' vehicle, holding PM Modi's posters in their hands and wearing the BJP's saffron colour sarees. TD candidate from Vijayawada LS, Kesineni Sivanath alias Chinni and NDA candidates from the seven Assembly segments also participated in the road show.
Several placards sporting the “Abki Baar 400 Paar” slogan greeted the Prime Minister as the vehicle moved slowly under close watch of thousands of police personnel including the armed guards. The road was heavily barricaded for security reasons.
Several people expressed their views on the present polls. Shakila Begum, a beautician supporting the TD, emphasised the benefits of the BJP and TD schemes like Ujwal and loans for private sector workers. She criticised YSRC's Amma Vodi scheme as a temporary feature. She felt the TD's experience in administration was beneficial for initiatives like capital development in each region.
Vinila, a housewife and TD supporter, dismissed the notion of BJP exploiting religious beliefs for political gains. She praised the strong coalition of BJP, TD and Jana Sena, and said this would be beneficial for students' job prospects. She expressed confidence in ChandraBabu's capability to develop a capital equal to Hyderabad.
Jyothi, a private sector employee supporting TD, praised TD's schemes and criticised Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “lack of experience” in implementing government policies.
Nagendra Rao, a private sector employee supporting the YSRC, juxtaposed the differences between Modi’s and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s rallies and their respective schemes. He appreciated the YSRC government's initiatives.
Ramzani, a housewife, favoured Jagan Mohan Reddy due to his initiatives such as Amma Vodi, Nadu Nedu programmes and distribution of welfare pensions. Despite admiring Pawan Kalyan and supporting Modi, Ramzani said she was more in favour of the welfare programmes and state-level initiatives of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
