Lukewarm response to Naidu’s speech

MANGALAGIRI: Jubilation among the TDP cadres and masses who attended the Maha Sankalpa Deeksha meeting here was clearly missing on Monday as they did not cheer their leader Chandrababu Naidu till the end. Although the turnout at the meeting was good, it was not even half of the crowd that attended team Chandrabau Naidu’s oath-taking ceremony last year.
However, TDP leaders contended that the crowd turnout was massive and crossed their expectations. According to unofficial estimations, the meeting was attended by around two lakh people. “More than four lakh people attended Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony last year,” admitted a senior intelligence official. The officials too wondered as to what could have been the reason for Naidu’s magic missing in a span of one year.
While the recent cash-for-vote scandal is being viewed as a major reason for the dampening spirit among the commoners, party activists were not happy with the implementation of poll promises, particularly agriculture loan waiver. Not filling the nominated posts in the state too seemed to have gone against the TDP leadership.
While party leaders right from Srikakulam to Anantapur volunteered to take part in the cabinet swearing-in ceremony held at the same ground 12 months ago, the districts administrations of Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, West Godavari and East Godavari took pains to transport people to the meeting. The district collectors personally monitored the mobilization of self-help group women members and official staff.
Barring die-hard fans who occupied the front rows at the meeting, the response from the crowd for Naidu’s thundering diatribes against KCR and Jagan was surprisingly poor. Without losing heart, Naidu made them shout aloud in his support and clap to endorse his remarks. Interestingly, people began leaving the venue even though Naidu began addressing them early and concluded his speech much before they anticipated.
In fact, weather was cool. However, people grew restive as Naidu took nearly 90 minutes to repeat his promises and schemes. Ministers and legislators, who sat on the dais, had to encourage people to join the chorus in showering praises on Naidu. Naidu said that he would keep all his promises in the coming days and fulfil the aspirations of the youth and women.
He claimed that he would not rest till he made the state number 1 in the country by 2029.
Officials completely ignored the protocol by arranging seats on the dais as several ministers and MPs were made to take back rows while leaders Karanam Balaram and Magunta Srinivasula Reddy occupied the front row.