Parties use Bhogi bonfires to target political rivals

Vijayawada: In a remarkable convergence of tradition and politics, the Bhogi bonfires during Sankranti celebrations in Vijayawada turned into platforms for party protests on Wednesday.

Leaders from TDP, YSRCP, and CPI symbolically burned Pattadar passbooks and copies of GOs related to Medical Colleges Public-Private Partnership (PPP), highlighting their opposition to policies of political rivals.

Under the leadership of Minister for Information & Public Relations and Housing Kolusu Parthasarathy and Mylavaram MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad, TDP leaders, including Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and Krishna Zilla Parishad former Chairman and TDP NTR District President Gadde Anuradha, participated in the burning of Pattadar passbooks at Gollapudi near Vijayawada. The passbooks, originally issued to farmers with the photograph of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, were consigned to the bonfire as a symbolic protest against the previous government’s policies.

Meanwhile, YSRCP NTR District President Devineni Avinash burned copies of the Medical Colleges PPP GO at the party district office in Gunadala, while former MLA Malladi Vishnu conducted a similar protest at his office on Besant Road. CPI State Secretary G Eswaraiah and Vijayawada City Secretary G Kotesweara Rao organised a programme at the CPI State Office, Dasari Bhavan, where the same GO copies were set ablaze, voicing opposition to the Public-Private Partnership model in medical education.