PENUGANCHIPROLU: At cock’s crow, as CBI personnel announced themselves at his doorstep in Hyderabad, Jagan Mohan Reddy was beginning his preparations for another day of the Odarpu Yatra here in Krishna district. After conferring with his aides on the developments in Hyderabad, the Kadapa MP hit the dirt track at about 9 am for another day of rousing support for himself.Opinion in the streets of this part of the district seemed to be in his favour already. “Jagan intimeeda paddarantaga, aina yemi cheyyaleru,” declared septuagenarian Kandula Tulasamma of Gowravaram village. (“Have they descended on Jagan’s house? They can’t do anything to him”).The young MP seemed not to be perturbed by the raids in the state capital although information from Hyderabad streamed into his ear on the mobile phone. There were no signs of worry on the MP’s face.The fourth day of the yatra started off form this farm village and traversed through Anigandlapadu, Muchintala, Lingagudem, Mundlapadu, Konayapalem, Bobbillapadu, Adaviravulapadu and Chandarlapadu.Though the crowds were not huge, groups of 10 or 20 waited for the Jagan cavalcade at several villages. The majority of the villagers are farm hands, and seemed not to know of the raids on Jagan’s properties. They said they had come to see the son of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.In Lingagudem village, Gaja Lalitamma said she had been anticipating Jagan’s arrival for the past two days as a thanksgiving to YSR who sanctioned several welfare schemes for the poor. She was happy she got to shake Jagan’s hand.Farm worker G Radhamma said her family woke up at 2 am to be able to reach the highway to see Jagan. Asked about the CBI raids, she shot back, “Avi makemi teliyadu, maaku YSR ante istam anduke vaccham. (We don’t know anything about that; we came because we remember YSR.)” Kandula Narayana Reddy of Gowravaram village threw a challenge: “Jagan nu arrest cheyamanandi chuddam.” The MP himself, wanting not to disappoint anyone, stopped the convoy even if there were ten villagers waiting. He smiles and shakes hands and drives away. Jagan’s security personnel seem to know the voter dynamics well: they ask the men to go back and let the women to come up front to meet Jagan.
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