Stage set for Telugu Desam’s Mahanadu

The party, in line with the thinking of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, may not target its ally, the BJP

TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh inspecting the arrangements at the venue. Photos: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

: The stage is set for the commencement of the Telugu Desam Party’s Mahanadu, the three-day conclave, at Tirupati from Friday.

The Mahanadu this year assumes significance as it comes at a time when repeated requests made by the TDP government to the Central government to fulfil the host of promises made on the floor of Parliament, including the grant of Special Category Status to the new State, remain unfulfilled.

The Centre’s alleged failure to implement several promises made in the Reorganisation Act have already led to a war of words between the TDP and the BJP leaders, and the party is said to be gearing up to adopt a resolution to continue to mount pressure on the Narendra Modi-led government to fulfil the assurances.

Though the issue is likely to figure in the deliberations during the Mahanadu, the TDP is unlikely to take a hard stand against its ally and resolutions are accordingly being drafted cautiously so as not to hurt the alliance partner. The party has decided to go soft on the BJP as TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is believed to be averse to taking a hard stand against the BJP leadership as the State needs the handholding by the Centre on several major projects, including the construction of the new capital Amaravati.

28 resolutions likely

to be adopted

In all, 28 resolutions, 13 related to Andhra Pradesh, eight charting the party’s course in Telangana where it suffered a series of defections and seven resolutions on general issues, are likely to be adopted at the Mahanadu. The resolutions relating to Telangana would mainly focus on resuscitating the party as it believes its cadre base is in tact rather than taking a hard line against projects like Palamuru-Ranga Reddy as it could hurt the TDP’s prospects in the new State. Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has been appointed as the chairman of the resolutions committee which is in the process of drafting the resolutions, a majority of which would dwell on the spree of welfare schemes launched by the TDP government for the betterment of different sections of society. Close to 30,000 delegates from the two Telugu-speaking States are expected to deliberate on the progress achieved by the State which commenced its journey with huge revenue and fiscal deficits and endorse the steps taken by the leadership for reviving the economy.