Hyderabad, Feb 10 (IANS): Police in Telangana's Nalgonda district on Wednesday detained leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in view of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's visit to the district.

Several BJP leaders across the district were taken into preventive custody late last night and shifted to the police stations.

Some leaders were placed under house arrest as a precautionary measure. The police action came following the statement by BJP's district unit president K. Sridhar Reddy that they will disrupt the Chief Minister's public meeting at Halia in Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency.

Sridhar Reddy was placed under house arrest at Pulicherla village in Peddapura Mandal. The BJP leaders and workers in other mandals were also detained and shifted to the police stations.

Police were taking all steps to prevent the BJP leaders and workers from attending the Chief Minister's public meeting.

The BJP leaders were planning to lodge the protest over police lathi-charge on its workers and tribals in the Suryapet district on Sunday. The incident had occurred when the BJP workers and locals damaged a few sheds on disputed land.

The visit by KCR assumes significance in view of the ensuing by-election to the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency. The seat fell vacant following the death of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi's legislator Nomula Narsimhaiah in December, 2020.

The TRS chief, who will be reaching Nalgonda by helicopter from Hyderabad, will reach Nellikallu by road to lay the foundation stone for 13 lift irrigation projects to be constructed at a cost of Rs 9,000 crore.

KCR will then leave for Halia to address a public meeting.