Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu reacted guardedly to actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s offer of working with parties like the TDP.
Replying to queries at a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Naidu said the TDP had been insisting from the beginning that it was no time for experiments as the people in Seemandhra region were staring at a crisis, financially and otherwise, after the bifurcation. “The picture in the Seemandhra is gloomy and it is time for the like-minded people to join hands to work for alleviating their problems,” he said.
The two successor States, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, required efficient leadership that could address their issues and put them back on the path of accelerated development. The TDP was prepared to hold negotiations with such individuals/institutions that come forward to take up the task.
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The State, according to him, was faced with a special situation where a major political party was on the verge of being wiped out. Asked about the proposed tie-up with the BJP, he said the TDP was sure to play a key role in the national politics after the elections as the polls were set to be one-sided in Seemandhra while the party’s prospects were bright in the Telangana region. “The party supported by the TDP will come to power at the Centre,” he said.
Mr. Naidu was speaking after admitting former Minister S. Vijayarama Raju, former MLA T. Janardhan and Congress Rajampet in-charge M. Mallikarjun Reddy into the TDP along with their supporters. Mr. Vijayarama Raju said he had “unconditionally” joined the TDP as it was the only party capable of providing accelerated development in Andhra Pradesh.