State in darkness under Cong.: Balakrishna

NTR statues unveiled in Payakaraopet mandal of Visakha district Payakaraopet (Visakhapatnam): "The State is under complete darkness and the industrial and farm sectors are facing severe financial crisis following power problem under the Congress rule," actor Nandamuri Balakrishna said here on Saturday. Mr Balakrishna was here on Saturday to unveil the statues of former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party founder late NT Rama Rao at Kandipudi, Ankampet, Rajagopalapuram and Kumarapuram villages of Payakaraopet mandal. Addressing a public meeting at Kumarapuram, he charged the Congress with adopting the concept of 'exploit public and save money'. Paying rich tributes to NTR, he described him as a great personality with whose efforts the Telugu-speaking people were recognised nationally and internationally. Though the TDP had made local leaders Gantela Sumana, Kakara Nukaraju and Chengala Venkata Rao as MLAs who were actually not fit, they later switched their loyalty to other parties and the people would teach them a lesson, he said. He asked the party cadre and activists to strengthen the hands of party president N Chandrababu Naidu to bail out all sections of people out of problems. Former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murty questioned Chengala Venkata Rao how much he took from the YSR Congress Party for switching over from the TDP.A Among others, party leaders Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, Dadi Ratnakar and party MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishnababu accompanied Mr Balakrishna.

'I'll be a common worker of TDP' Thalupulamma Lova (East Godavari): "I will work as a common worker in Telugu Desam Party," Mr Balakrishna said. He visited Thalupulamma Lova and had a darshan of Goddess Thalupulamma Ammavaru in Tuni mandal of East Godavari district on Saturday. Devasthanam executive officer Gadiraju Suribabu Raju welcomed Mr Balakrishna and Vedic pundits welcomed him with 'Purnakumbham'. Special pujas were performed in the name of family members of Mr Balakrishna, Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh. The temple authorities presented a memento to Balakrishna. Addressing the media, Mr Balakrishna said that he would work as an active member in the Telugu Desam Party. However, he made it clear that he would contest as MLA if the party high command directed him to do so. To a question, he said it was not decided from which seat he would contest. He said his new movie was delayed as he did not get a script like 'Simha'. A large number of Balakrishna fans thronged Thalupulamma Lova to have a glimpse of their favourite star.A TDP MLAs Bandaru Satyanarayana and Velagapudi Ramakrishna, local leaders Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, P Seshagiri Rao, Surla Lova Raju and Challakonda Ramesh were present.