Chandrababu Naidu walks 8 km on day 1 of long march

In what is being viewed as his last ditch attempt to return to power in the 2014 elections, 63-yearold Telugu Desam Party chief and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday set out on his 117- days padayatra - Vastunna Meekosam - from here.

 He will cover 13 districts in all the three regions of the state before ending it in Srikakulam district on January 26.

 He will travel the remaining districts in his second phase of the yatra which might begin after the budget session of the Assembly next year.

 Naidu, after offering prayers at the Anajneya Swamy temple in the town, began his padayatra and arrived at the NTR Circle in the Town which is about 3.

5 km away and addressed his first public meeting as part of the yatra.

 He chose to start his walkathon at the temple because the late NT Rama Rao had visited the same temple in 1983 to file his nomination papers for election to Assembly and won.

 In his subsequent address, he repeatedly said that the purpose of the yatra was to comfort people affected by the misrule of the Congress.

 “I am here to instil confidence in you in life.

 Don’t lose heart.

 I am with you,” he said.

 He accused the government of corruption and inefficiency.

 “I need your support as I begin working to protect your interests,” he said.

 The response to Naidu’s address and padayatra was huge, with women activists offering aartis and showering him with flowers and confetti.

 He was accompanied by a crowd of TDP workers and leaders.

 “By undertaking a padayatra, Naidu can be in the midst of people.

 If he works hard, he can come back to power.

 Nothing comes easy,” said an electrician M Mahaboob Peera from Gorantal in Anantapur district.

 Naidu later unveiled the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Abemdkar, Jyotirao Phule at Hindupur.

 After walking for eight kilometres, he called it a day at Kollakunta village.

 Naidu’s padayatra has been so planned that he would be able to interact with people in at least eight to nine villages every day.

 He would be covering 100 assembly constituencies in all the three regions of the state.