Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a massive roadshow in Vijayawada in support of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates for Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Flanked by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan in an open-top vehicle, PM Modi was seen waving at the crowd by raising both his hands.
Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan too responded to people’s cheers with folded hands.
Numerous people gathered on either side of the Bandar Road to welcome the leaders of the NDA alliance.
Some people were carrying flags of the TDP, BJP and JSP and placards in their hands.
A group of women were walking ahead of the leaders’ vehicle with PM Modi’s posters.
The roadshow was held for three km from Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium to the Benz Circle.
The police had made elaborate security arrangements for the roadshow.
TDP candidate from Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat Kesineni Sivanath and NDA candidates from seven Assembly segments also participated in the roadshow.
Before reaching Vijayawada, PM Modi addressed a public meeting of the NDA at Rajampet in Rayalaseema region.
PM Modi said that the countdown for the YSR Congress Party government has started. He appealed to people to elect a double engine government for rapid development of the state.
Simultaneous elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha are scheduled to be held on May 13.
Under the seat sharing agreement, the TDP is contesting 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats.
It left 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha seats for BJP and 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats for JSP.
After a gap of a decade, the TDP, BJP and JSP have come together.
In 2014, JSP backed the TDP-BJP alliance.
Later, Pawan Kalyan had distanced himself from both parties, while the TDP had also snapped ties with the BJP. TDP, which contested the 2019 elections on its own, lost power to YSR Congress.
The BJP, which also went alone, drew a blank in both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
The JSP, which had joined hands with BSP and the Left parties, managed to win just one seat.