Undeterred by the Congress’ accusation that he was undertaking a “political pilgrimage”, Telangana Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday visited the famed Vithoba temple at Pandharpur and offered prayers to the presiding deities Lord Vitthal and his consort Rukmini.
After driving down to the temple town of Pandharpur town in Solapur district from Hyderabad, KCR took darshan of the presiding deities Lord Vitthal and Rukmini ahead of the auspicious Ashadhi Ekadashi festival on June 29.
KCR’s decision to arrive in Solapur along with party leaders in a huge convey of 600-odd vehicles had triggered a major controversy in the state.
Charging that the Bharat Rashtra Samiti IBRS) was the BJP’s ‘B’ Team and it would not make any impact in Maharashtra, the State Congress president Nana Patole had on Monday come down heavily on Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for trying to take political advantage of pilgrimage to Pandharpur. “Pandhari’s Vari ( pilgrimage to Pandharpur) is a matter of devotion and faith for all of us. KCR should not take political advantage of it,” Patole had said.
KCR was welcomed by the temple authorities. After a brief pooja, the chief minister made an offering of a box to the Lord. He was later garlanded by a Trustee.
Later KCR was escorted to a hall outside where he was felicitated by the temple authorities with a gold-and-saffron shawl draped around his shoulders, mementos comprising statues of Lord Vitthal and Rukmini in a glass case, and a large painting of the Lord.
Accompanying him in his tour to Maharashtra are his entire Telangana cabinet, all his party MLAs and parliamentarians and party office-bearers on the ‘mega-pilgrimage’ that has evoked sharp reactions from the state political parties.
After the ‘temple yatra’, KCR visited the home of senior NCP leader Bhagirath Bhalke in Sarkoli town. Later he addressed at Sarkoli where Bhalke and hundreds of his supporters joined the BRP.
In a related development, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that KCT’;s visit to Solapur would have no impact on Maharashtra police. “There will be no impact of Telangana Chief Minister KCR on Maharashtra politics. If KCR indulges in this kind of dramas, he will lose power in Telangana state as well”