Srikakulam/Vizianagaram: Highlighting the rapid depletion in the party ranks, the Congress bus yatra, featuring Union minister K. Chiranjeevi and APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy, got off to a poor start at Srikakulam on Friday.
The road for the bus would be rocky; the response was equally poor at its first halt at Vizianagaram, the stronghold of former PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana. Very few party cadres attended the programme at the Srikakulam Congress office. Fans of Mr Chiranjeevi were present in some numbers. When police attempted to get them to move, Mr Chiranjeevi intervened and asked the police not to disturb his fans.
A police officer on security duty estimated that about 800 people had been taken to the meeting from local areas after promising the men Rs 500 and the women, Rs 200. They were given acknowledgement slips by the town’s Congress leaders, self-help groups and anganwadi workers, and actual payment would be made at night, the police officer said.
S. Krishna, Srikakulam town Congress leader, said that strong leaders had distanced themselves from the party following the bifurcation and the imminent defeat of the party.
Simma Rajasekhar, former town Congress president, said that ministers, MLAs and those given “profitable” posts were not interested in spending money on party meetings in view of the poor prospects of the party. They consider it wasteful expenditure, he said.
