Vasu Potnuru Visakhaptnam

Even as the two Telugu states divided, adoration for the neighbouring state’s political leaders continues to grow stronger in Andhra Pradesh. Flexies conveying birthday wishes to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy clearly indicated this, grabbing public attention as they were displayed at Pendurthi junction in Visakhapatnam. Earlier, when the Telangana Chief Minister visited Visakhapatnam to attend a public meeting—accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Chief YS Sharmila to extend solidarity to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant agitation—a large crowd gathered at Ukkunagaram.

When Revanth Reddy was with TDP during the undivided Andhra Pradesh, his powerful speeches always drew scores of party activists along with the public in Visakhapatnam. However, there is no clarity on who had displayed the flexies at Pendurthi junction. Whether they were set up by the partymen or admirers of Telangana CM is yet to be known. Such flexies were not confined to Revanth Reddy alone. Years before, When the then Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao visited Visakhapatnam, huge flexies welcomed him all along the route. He frequented Vizag to perform special yagams at Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham. In Visakhapatnam, the flexies displaying birthday wishes of the Telangana Chief Minister sparked debate over the steps taken to make the Congress Party’s presence felt.