Vijayawada: N. Chandrababu Naidu reaches home to emotional welcome

Vijayawada : As TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu reached his residence here after a 13-hour journey by road from Rajamahendravaram following interim bail, the atmosphere was charged and emotional.

Naidu, who arrived to a warm welcome by family members and supporters, was visibly moved when some of his relatives broke down while embracing him.

He comforted them and advised them to be courageous. He, along with his family members, then participated in a puja. TDP chief reached his residence at Undavalli after 5 am. His wife Bhuvaneswari welcomed him in a traditional manner. Priests performed various rituals while a large number of women leaders and workers of TDP lined up with pumpkins in their hands which they broke, considered auspicious.After spending 52 days in judicial custody in the Skill Development Corporation case, Naidu had walked out of jail on Tuesday following the interim bail granted by Andhra Pradesh High Court on health grounds.

Naidu had stepped out of Rajahmundry central jail around 4.40 pm to a grand welcome by his family members, TDP leaders and supporters.

After thanking people and various political parties for their support and denying any wrongdoing in his 40-year-long political career, he left by road for Amaravati in a huge convoy of vehicles.

The 73-year-old was accorded a warm welcome by thousands of supporters all along the route. Men and women were lined up at several places to greet him. They were showering petals and raising slogans of ‘Jai Babu, Jai Jai Babu’. It was an unprecedented show of support for the veteran leader. Even after midnight a large number of people poured onto the road to welcome him. Huge gatherings caused traffic jams at several places along the route.

Sitting in his car, Naidu waved at the crowd. He was visibly moved by the tremendous public support. It took 13 hours to cover a distance of 186 km, which in normal course takes three-and-half hours.