Voting Telugu Desam a historic necessity, says Naidu

Ganta, five MLAs and former Mayor Rajana Ramani join party

A section of the crowd that gathered at the TDP ‘Praja Garjana’ in the city on Wednesday. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Describing the TDP being voted to power as a historic necessity, TDP president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu termed rival contenders YSRCP, TRS and Jai Samaikandhra clones of the Congress.

“It is not enough to defeat the Congress which is sure to be wiped out both in the State and in the country; the other parties also should be defeated,” he said addressing the sixth Praja Garjana of the party at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium here on Wednesday evening.

Former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, MLAs U V Ramana Murthy Raju, Avanthi Srinivasa Rao, Ch. Venkatramaih, P. Rameshbabu and Thota Trimurtulu and former Mayor Rajana Ramani joined the party at the garjana.

Asserting that the TDP would be swept to power in both regions, Mr. Naidu said construction of the new State and “samajika” Telangana preventing feudal role would be achieved only by the TDP.

The Congress fell prey to its own machinations after bifurcation, Mr. Naidu pointed out stating that its leaders were deserting it in Seemandhra and it was not strengthened in Telangana as expected.

Alleging that Congress drove a wedge between people of the State, he said AICC president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi were not even in a position to speak about division and its fallout. Finding fault with the reported statement of Mr. Jairam Ramesh that a committee would be formed to decide on the capital for the new State, he said it would again divide people and wanted the task to be left to the new government.

Only TDP would provide a clean rule, he said, describing the YSRCP as a corrupt party that would only be preoccupied with getting cases lifted in Delhi if it won. Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy could not do anything when he was chief minister and a vote for his party would be a waste, he said. On the other hand, TDP would emerge a decisive power and would use its clout in New Delhi to get development for the State. Visakhapatnam would get top priority in development.

Novel initiative On the selection process for party nominees, he said his party would introduce an IVRS-based people contact programme to ascertain their choice and only give tickets to such persons.

Party Polit Buro member Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu who was vocal about the former minister joining the party said they should not change decisions often and hoped they would stay in the party.

Earlier, Mr Naidu reached the meeting venue in a rally.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said during the last 10 years development in the city suffered.

Former MP M V V S Murthy, former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, district president G. Rama Naidu and city president Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar and Ch. Vijay spoke.