With clear signals emanating from the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government that there is no question of allowing Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh to resume his padayatra from Friday, the party is making its Plan B ready to go into the people and sustain the momentum of the party.
According to party sources, Lokesh is supposed to resume his padayatra “Yuvagalam” from Konaseema district on the night of Friday. The party’s political action committee has prepared the padayatra chart and sent it to Lokesh for his approval.
He is expected to land in Rajahmundry by Friday afternoon, but there are indications that the moment he steps out of the airport, the Crime Investigation Department people would take him into custody in the Amaravati Inner Ring Road case and would be shifted to the CID office at Mangalagiri.
Sources said heavy police forces are being mobilised to Rajahmundry and also Konaseema areas to prevent any kind of resistance from the TDP forces.
In the meantime, the TDP leaders are learnt to have applied to the Konaseema district police seeking permission for the resumption of padayatra by Lokesh.
To be on the safe side, they also included the name of Lokesh’s wife Nara Brahmani in the list of the TDP leaders who will be taking part in the padayatra.
“In case Lokesh is arrested soon after his return to Rajahmundry, Brahmani will pick up the baton and takes part in the padayatra. She is mentally prepared for the padayatra and is following the fitness regime for the same,” a party source said.
The party hopes that the police might not dare reject permission to Brahmani, if she takes up the walkathon, as it would send wrong signals into the party.
But if she does, the TDP leaders are hopeful that it would generate much more sympathy for Naidu and Lokesh.
