GVL Maha Sankranthi celebrations commenced with a puja on Sunday, marking the start of the 2026 event. Former Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao announced that former vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the main event on January 9. Odisha governor Kambampati Haribabu is scheduled to attend on January 12. The celebrations will feature various cultural programs, with local MLA Vishnukumar Raju and BJP district president M.M.N. Parushurama Raju also present.