Yerran survives powerful landmine blast in 2004, dies in mishap

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Nov 3, 2012: When, senior Telugu Desam (TD) leader, Kinjarapu Yerrannaidu survived a powerful landmine blast triggered by outlawed Maoists in April 2004, his followers, well wishers and close aides felt he will live 100 years, but little they knew that 7 years later in 2012, a simple road mishap would kill their beloved leader.

Naidu was killed in a road accident in the wee hours of Friday, when the speeding vehicle in which he was travelling hit an oil tanker carrying tar from behind.  

On the midnight of April 18, in 2004, Naidu was returning in an SUV from Tekkali to Srikakulam when naxalites blasted the landmine. The SUV he was traveling at that time went about 5 feet up in the air and the engine was reduced to a mangle. Yerran Naidu, two of his associates and two gunmen survived the blast.

Later he won the loksabha election that was conducted after two days and went on to become face of TD in New Delhi.

From a humble beginning as a small time advocate in Srikakulam town, after completing graduation in law at Andhra University, he went on to become TD Parliamentary Party (TDPP) leader.  

He was fondly called as Uttarandhra Simham, Netaji and Yerranna by his followers. “Yerrannaidu not only strived for the party, he worked for the welfare and upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden. It’s a great loss to Andhra Pradesh and equally to our party. We lost a powerful leader,” said former minister and another senior TD leader, CH Ayyana Patrudu.

Yerran Naidu was known to be having sound knowledge about various issues concerning common man and he was always in the forefront to fight for the poor. He led many protests in the three districts of north Andhra. “Personally it’s an irrecoverable loss to me. He guided me on many issues when I newly entered politics,” said ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who begun his political career with TD.

Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who was elected from Anakapalli parliamentary constituency in 1999, was also Naidu’s Loksabha colleague.

“He was a mass leader and has this fighter instinct in him.,” said CPI district secretary, JV Satyanrayana Murthy.