TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu has created a new record in Andhra Pradesh politics by breaking the record of former chief minister late YS Rajshekara Reddy in walkathon. Babu has reached 1500 kilometre milestone and broke the YSR's record of 1468.4 kilometres. While YSR's padayatra was covered 33 constituencies, Chandrababu Naidu's padayatra covered 40 constituencies and he's still on. At Pallaruguda of Warangal district, Chandrababu crossed 1500 milestone where he unveiled a stone memorial.

If we closely compare and contrast YSR and Chandrababu Naidu, these were the following developments that took place during their tenures.

There has always been a question whether the welfare schemes introduced during YSR tenure were that of Congress Government or YS Rajashekara Reddy alone. Whatever might be the case, the observers said since YSR then worked for Congress, whose high command was not YSR, the credit of the schemes during YSR tenure will obviously go to Congress and not a person.

On contrary, Chandrababu Naidu himself has been the high command of Telugu Desam Party. Therefore, all the programmes implemented during his tenure goes to the party as well as to him. Some might pin point at Chandrababu, but information technology observers still recall the slogan of Babu, “Bye Bye Bangalore, Hello Hyderabad.” It has to be mentioned here that it was Bangalore alone, which was the only destination for those seeking jobs in software industry prior to Chandrababu Naidu's tenure. After Babu stepped in as the chief minister of AP, he took many steps to turn the city into not just an IT destination but even a sports destination. Some sports analysts said that had Babu was in power, Hyderabad would have even witnessed Formula One race.

Anyway, the one thing that kept YSR still high in the AP political history was his padayatra. Chandrababu Naidu today broke that record. Will he now be called as a maha netha (great leader)? May be yes, said observers.

(AW Phani)