Spouses step out for top leaders in the state

Vijayawada: Adding glitz to the election fervour in Andhra Pradesh, spouses of political heavyweights such as Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu have hit the campaign trail for their better halves.

Y S Bharathi Reddy, wife of Jagan Mohan Reddy, held a campaign on Sunday in Pulivendula Assembly constituency from where the YSRCP chief is contesting, while the latter is busy touring the state canvassing for the party's candidates.

She went door-to-door, meeting people and discussing issues of the constituency. “Everyone is with Jagan sir... They expressed confidence that if Jagan promises something he will fulfill it come what may. Jagan always says that Pulivendula is my stronghold,” she told media.

She further noted that she campaigned in the constituency even when her father-in-law, former chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy used to contest in the segment. Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu's wife Bhuvaneswari is set to intensively campaign for her husband from May 1.

According to TDP sources, she filed the former Chief Minister's nomination for Kuppam Assembly constituency on his behalf on April 19. She has already toured several parts of the state under ‘Nijam Gelavali’ (truth should triumph) and reached out to families of ‘people who died’ after hearing the news about Chandrababu Naidu's arrest in September last year in the skill development scam case. She also provided financial assistance to the bereaved families.

Following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law, Nara Brahmani, wife of N Lokesh, began canvassing for her husband on April 20 in Mangalagiri, where he unsuccessfully contested in 2019 assembly polls. Brahmani, Executive Director of family-run Heritage Foods Ltd interacted with some farmers in Bethapudi village in Mangalagiri.

She will resume her campaign from today, party sources said. Chandrababu Naidu always worked for women empowerment and it is because of him that the concept of self-help groups assumed significance in the country, she had told reporters. Hindupur sitting TDP MLA and actor Blakrishna’s wife Vasundhara also attended roadshows to seek votes for her husband in the segment. She also interacted with several women groups during the campaign.

Addressing the media, she had said she was received very affectionately by the Hindupur voters who according to her alleged that they are facing problems in the YSRCP regime. Balakrishna is brother-in-law of Chandrababu Naidu.