Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Central Committee president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has started working for the 2019 elections. He called upon party leaders to prepare the ground for a victory in Telangana while retaining power in AP.
Administering the oath of office to the new office bearers of the central committee, politburo and state committees of Telangana and AP at the NTR Trust Bhavan here on Sunday, Mr Naidu minced no words in telling them that their performance would be analysed every three months.
Though he did not say it directly the message was clear that their posts are not permanent and that growth depends on performance.
“Work to strengthen the party. Be in touch with the people. We (TD) are in the opposition in Telangana. There are lots of problems in Telangana. Launch an uncompromising fight to solve their problems and make the Telugu Desam undefeatable in Telangana,” he said.
He said the party is ruling in AP and that Telugu Desam leaders should take to the people all the pro-poor, pro-farmer schemes of the government.
Mr Naidu asked party leaders in Telangana to create awareness about Telugu Desam’s achie-vements in Telangana. He told them that whatever development they see in the villages of Telangana is due to NTR and Naidu. Naidu took time to explain to party leaders and workers the importance of coming to power in Telangana and retaining it in Andhra Predesh.
“Earlier, the Telugu Desam was either in the ruling or in opposition. Now, the Telugu Desam is ruling in Andhra Pradesh, in the opposition in Telangana and is supporting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. There was a time when Telugu Desam played the main role at the national level to defeat the Congress by uniting opposition parties. First, NTR did it and later I did it during the Vajpayee government,” he said, and added more MPs for Telugu Desam in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh means the party can get more funds from the Centre. During his speech, Naidu was careful not to mention the name of the TRS and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Chandrababu Naidu tries to control dissent
TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday tried to pacify some senior leaders who were not happy with the elevation of Nara Lokesh. Just four years after his entry into TD politics, Lokesh was appointed as general secretary of the TD central committee.
Addressing Union ministers, MPs, AP ministers and senior leaders at the party office during the swearing-in ceremony of the Central Committee office bearers, politburo, AP and state committees, Naidu said these committees have a blend of seniors and juniors.
Without naming Mr Lokesh, he pointed out that the party registered 55 lakh members and collected Rs 55 crore as funds. “Many other parties tried to enroll like TD but failed,” he said. The TD also offers accident insurance scheme for its workers and gives Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia in case of accidental death.
Mr Lokesh was the centre of attraction with leaders vying to impress upon him about their work for the party.
