The State-wide bandh called by TDP, YSR Congress (YSRC) and Left parties in protest against the steep hike in power tariff passed off peacefully and evoked good response across the district.
The activists of TDP and Left parties and their frontal organisations took rallies in all important towns and strongly deplored the Government for taking the decision to increase power tariff in blatant disregard of public opinion.
A huge number of cadres of TDP, CPI, CPI (M) and also BJP took to the streets in Guntur and demanded that the hike in power tariff should be withdrawn immediately.
They went around the city and forced the business establishments at a few places to close down.
While the TDP and Left parties held a joint protest at Sankar Vilas Centre under the leadership of Prathipati Pulla Rao, Muppalla Nageswara Rao and D. Rama Devi and MLC K.S. Lakshman Rao, activists of YSRC staged a separate demonstration at the same place led by urban convener L. Appi Reddy.
However, they were all demanding that the anti-people Government should step down for making the people’s lives miserable.
Hundreds of CPI and CPI (M) and TDP activists laid siege to the NTR bus station in Guntur in the early morning itself and saw to it that the services did not resume till evening.
Schools closed
There were no untoward incidents anywhere in the district in spite of the massive mobilisation of activists of political parties, who were joined by trade unions and civil society organisations in some towns.
A large number of police personnel were deployed at important public places.
Educational institutions remained closed and cinema theatres wore a deserted look as the morning shows were suspended.
