Heavy rain accompanied by lightning resulted in cancellation of proposed visit of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to Huzurnagar in Suryapet district on Thursday to address an election meeting.
It would have been the first public meeting in six months for KCR. In fact, all eyes were on the public meeting in the backdrop of the ongoing strike by RTC employees as everyone was expecting the Chief Minister to make a statement on the issue.
A press release from the Chief Minister’s office said: “CM’s proposed visit to Huzurnagar stands cancelled. In view of the adverse weather conditions and heavy rain in Huzurnagar accompanied by lightning and storms, where a public meeting to be addressed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled today, and also in view of the suggestion from Aviation department, the scheduled meeting stands cancelled.”
Aviation department has not given clearance to the helicopter which the Chief Minister was supposed to use for flying to Huzurnagar, the release said.
The ruling TRS is locked in a fierce triangular contest with the Congress and the BJP for the byelection slated for October 21.
State Congress president and Nalgonda MP N.Uttam Kumar Reddy had resigned from Huzurnagar Assembly seat consequent on his election as MP. His wife and former MLA N. Padmavati Reddy, the Congress candidate is pitted against Mr. Saidi Reddy (TRS) and Dr Rama Rao (BJP).
Weather plays spoilsport
In Huzurnagar, the presence of Mr. Rao was much awaited to lift the mood of cadre and voters at a public meeting here, ahead of the polling on October 21.
Minister for Energy G. Jagadish Reddy and party whip and bypoll incharge Palla Rajeshwar Reddy declared the meeting cancelled at 2.30 p.m.
“We thank each one of you, and the scores of people on the way, for turning up. The Aviation department has made it clear that there is no scope for the helicopter to fly even after two hours. The meeting stands cancelled,” they said.
The weather changed drastically around 1.30 p.m. as dark clouds gathered, and soon heavy rain accompanied by lightning and thunders lashed Huzurnagar. The downpour lasted about 20 minutes. Drenched by then, about 5,000 attendees at the meeting ground in Chaitanya Nagar, started walking back assuming that the situation would worsen.
