Nitin Gadkari to flag off yatra for Telangana statehood demand

BJP national president Nitin Gadkari would flag off a 22-day-long yatra, in support of the separate Telangana statehood demand, in Mahabubnagar district on Thursday.

The yatra, named as 'Telangana Poru Yatra' (Struggle for Telangana) has been organised by BJP state unit and would be led by party's state chief G Kishan Reddy, who is also the party Floor Leader in the State Assembly.

"The aim of the yatra is to mount pressure on the UPA government to move a bill in the coming budget session of the Parliament for carving out a separate statehood for Telangana," state party general secretary N Ramachander Rao told reporters here today.

Gadkari will reach Maktal in Mahabubnagar district by a helicopter from Hyderabad and will launch the yatra at Krishna village of Maganoor mandal in Maktal assembly constituency, he said.

The yatra would commence on the banks of river Krishna in Mahabubnagar district on January 19 and conclude on the Godavari river bank at Bhadrachalam in Khammam district on February 9, Rao said.

The yatra will pass through 171 mandals, 986 villages, 36 municipalities in 88 assembly constituencies. It will cover a distance of about 3,500km in nine districts in Telangana region.

Several pro-Telangana organisations have extended their support to the yatra and the leaders of the Telangana Joint Action Committee of have been invited, Rao said adding, prominent BJP leaders, including Prakash  Jawadekar, would also participate in the yatra.