The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Chandrababu Naidu vows to rebuild Telugu Desam Party

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Sunday, May 29, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Chandrababu Naidu vows to rebuild Telugu Desam Party

Special Correspondent

Key role in national politics to be recaptured, Mahanadu told

HYDERABAD: `Mahanadu', the Telugu Desam Party's 24th annual conference, began on Saturday with the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, vowing to rebuild the party and recapture its pre-eminent position in national politics.

Mr. Naidu told delegates, who came from different parts of the State, that the party had the rich legacy of bringing together anti-Congress political parties at the Centre under the stewardship of

N. T. Rama Rao. From the National and United Front Governments to that of National Democratic Alliance, the TDP had played a key role.

"We have ensured that the Congress is reduced to the status of a regional party, ended the single-party rule and introduced the era of coalition Governments. We should rededicate ourselves to NTR's philosophy and regain that position," he said. Mahanadu coincides with NTR's birth anniversary.

He was critical of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, saying all it could achieve in one year was taking revenge on its political adversaries. It was unable to fulfil any of its election promises — from holding the price line and checking fuel price hike to creation of a minimum of 100 days' employment. Inflation had touched 8 per cent. The Governor's post was misused either to destabilise Opposition Governments or deny it an opportunity to form one. Two different yardsticks were adopted in Goa and Bihar.

`Murder politics'

Turning to the State Government, he dared it to continue with its `murder politics'. "The more it resorts to such actions, the more unpopular it becomes, digging its own grave. Over 55 TDP workers and Paritala Ravi, MLA, have been murdered by Congress cadre during the last one year. The TDP will fight it out, not through violence but in a peaceful and democratic manner in the people's court."

The one-year rule of the Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was a `disaster'. Agriculture was in crisis and 2700 farmers had committed suicide and 250 weavers died of starvation. The much-touted `Helpline' had become `helpless line'. "The TDP will launch an agitation if compensation is not paid to all of them as promised," he said. The promise of free power to the farm sector stood diluted and there was corruption in tenders called for irrigation projects.

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