Brimming with confidence, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday asserted that the party would win the next elections hands down, in which case he would sign the first file waiving all the loans of farmers and the second one would be on removal of belt shops.
Emphasising that the acceptance of resignation of Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and P. Sabitha Indra Reddy by the Governor was the success of TDP, Mr. Naidu said in his inaugural address to the Mahanadu that they were relieved only after he took up the matter with President Pranab Mukherjee.
The TDP would not only carry on the struggle against the remaining four Ministers till they were dismissed, but till they paid back the money spent by the government on defending their cases in the Supreme Court.
Mr. Naidu said the TDP would play a major role in national politics as the driving force for the third front which would ultimately assume power. The strength of the TDP was intact though some of its leaders had quit, lured by other parties.
Taking a dig at the TRS for its claim that opposition to separate Telangana was on account of high revenue generated in the region, Mr. Naidu wondered if the TRS had contributed to the growth. The TRS was merely interested in “votes and notes.”
He criticised Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for mortgaging self-respect of the people of the State by rushing to New Delhi on political missions 70 times. Mr. Reddy acted at the instance of AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Mr. Naidu was also critical of YSR Congress, blaming it for indulging in rampant corruption in the State. “Only the driver of the train has changed, the rest of the crew remains the same,” he remarked.
Later in the day, the Mahanadu adopted several resolutions of public importance. During a resolution on his ‘Vasthunna Meekosam’ padayatra, Mr. Naidu said the satisfaction he got from meeting people and learning their problems was not experienced even when he was at the helm of affairs of the State and had influence in the national politics.
Speakers also highlighted the problems in agriculture and irrigation sectors, law and order situation, political uncertainty, scams in the State and at the Centre and implementation of schemes with an eye on elections by the ruling party.
Meanwhile, 24 sets of nomination papers were filed on behalf of Mr. Naidu for the post of party president. As there is no other contender his re-election will be announced formally on Tuesday.
