Chirus Kadapa yatra ends

Chiranjeevi praying at Amin Peer dargah in Kadapa district on Friday.
KADAPA: Death seems to be shadowing the Praja Ankita Yatra of Praja Rajyam party (PRP) chief Chiranjeevi, as one more fan died on the last leg of yatra in the district today.
P Brahamiah (25) from Peddaneni Kaluva Dalitwada in Tsundupalle mandal, along with six of his friends, was on his way to Kadapa for participating in the Chiranjeevi road show when their Tata Sumo Vehicle met with an accident at Pallanagarpalle in Ramapuram mandal. A speeding lorry collided head-on with it, resulting in the instantaneous death of Brahamaiah.
His six friends and the Sumo driver were seriously injured in the mishap and were shifted to the Rayachoti Government Hospital.
With the condition of Ramachandra (30) and Yerraiah (25) worsening, they were shifted to SVR Ruia Hospital in Tirupati where their condition is reported to be critical. The others, including driver Penchalaiah, are undergoing treatment at Rayachoti. There were three deaths and injuries to ten others during the three-day Yatra in the district.
As for the Yatra itself, it evoked overwhelming response with thousands of Chiranjeevi’s fans and supporters turning up in large numbers at his road shows. People lined up the road on both sides for about 8 km from Bhakrapeta to Ontimitta, while his fans were seen showering two truckloads of flowers on him all along.
Earlier, Chiranjeevi visited Pedda Dargha (Ameen Peer Dargha) and offered prayers there. He spent nearly one hour in the shrine and was explained its significance by Dargah Committee secretary Anwar. Later, he offered prayers at Pastoral House and was blessed by the bishop. He stayed there for the night.
Handloom weavers presented him with a saree, asking him to give it to his mother.
Moved by the gesture, Chiranjeevi said that Madhavarm was as famous as Dharmavarm and it was an honour for him to receive a saree from the Madhavaram weavers. He assured them that once he came to power, he would make it a priority to address the problems of weavers.
On reaching Tallapaka, passing Ontimitta and Nandalur on his way, he said that he was really thrilled to be standing on the land where saint-poet Tallapaka Annamacharya had lived once. His speeches at Rajampeta and Kodur had an emotional tinge.
District Congress leaders, however, belittled the public response, saying the crowds turned out just to see their favourite star. DCC president K Suresh Babu said the people of Kadapa viewed him as a flim personality rather than a political leader.
Kamalapuram MLA G Veera Siva Reddy wondered how the PRP chief would eradicate factionism while himself being accompanied by known factionists Bhuma Nagi Reddy and MV Ramana Reddy.