Former chief minister and TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has said deliberations would be held in the party’s brain-storming session Maha Nadu for the overall development of the State and welfare the people.
Inaugurating the conclave here on Monday, Naidu said today is a festival day not only for the TDP, but also for the entire State. Stating that the entire Hyderabad city bathed in yellow colour, Naidu said this showed the enthusiasm of the party workers.
Reminding the ranks that this was the year of elections, Naidu said this Maha Nadu has a lot of importance. “Many are born and die. But only some live eternally in the history. NTR, founder of the TDP, was one such epoch-making legend. Our discussions would be about the general welfare of the people. We do not hold discussions like the ‘Jail parties’ on collections”, he said.
Stating that he had undertaken his marathon padayatra only because the State was in a plethora of problems, the TDP supremo thanked the workers saying that they gave him immense strength to walk thousands of kilometers. Alleging that the State had lost a lost due to the Congress misrule, Naidu said he spent several sleepless nights thinking about the future of the people. He said while there was surplus power during TDP rule, now several industries were getting closed due to acute power shortage turning youngsters into unemployed. He said if the TDP rode back to power, his first signature as chief minister would be on the file waiving the farm loans.
Naidu claimed that it was due to the fight of the TDP that the tainted ministers were forced to resign and asserted that his party would not tolerate corruption under any circumstances. He described the recently introduced ‘Amma Hastam’ as ‘Maaya Hastam’. He has alleged that most substandard commodities were being distributed under the scheme. He said instead of giving preference to agriculture, the Congress government was giving priority to sale of liquor and liquor was flowing like streams in the State. He demanded that the belt shops be immediately closed down.
CALLS UPON YOUTH TO FIGHT GRAFT
Naidu exhorted the youth to come forward to fight against corruption. He lamented that corruption seeped into even games. He talked about the spot fixing in IPL and said it had caused ripples in the entire nation. Referring to the election results of Karnataka, Naidu said the people of that State had voted against corruption and expressed the view that in AP also the same trend would be seen in the next elections.
The TDP chief recalled how Gali Janardana Reddy and Y S Jaganmohan Reddy challenged the TDP and had got totally discredited now. He said those who cannot save the lives of the people had no right to continue in office. He reminisced about how TDP was launched by late NTR and said though there were efforts by several to launch parties, only NTR was successful because of his commitment for the people. He alleged that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was sucking the blood of the poor. Terming the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as a “collection party”, the former chief minister said though the TDP had made its stand very clear on Telangana issue in 2008, the TRS was deliberately spreading falsehood to mislead people.
Some 15,000 party leaders from all over the State are participating in the two-day annual convention which coincides with the birth anniversary of party founder N.T. Rama Rao (May 28). The ‘Mahanadu’ assumed significance as it is the last annual convention before next year’s elections to State Assembly and Lok Sabha.
LOKESH CYNOSURE OF ALL EYES
Naidu’s son N. Lokesh, who is likely to get a key responsibility in the party, was the centre of attraction. Naidu’s brother-in-law and Lokesh’s father-in-law actor Nandamuri Balakrishna was also present. Naidu’s another brother-in-law and TDP politburo member Nandamuri Harikrishna was also present at the inauguration for some time. It may be recalled that Harikrishna had walked out of ‘Mahanadu’ last year to express his indignation over Naidu’s attempts to project Lokesh as his political successor.
Setting the tone for the deliberations, Naidu accused the Congress of undoing whatever good work he had done in the past for the development of the State. He said Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Jaganmohan Reddy looted public wealth. “The CBI investigations have proved this,” he added. Naidu also targeted Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, saying he was shielding the ministers involved in corruption during Rajasekhara Reddy’s rule. (NSS)
