Telugu Desam Party national
president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu extended greetings to its cadre as the outfit turned 34 today.
It was on this day in 1982 that Telugu screen idol Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao founded the party with the motto of upholding "Telugu pride and self-respect" before going on to create history by sweeping to power in a record nine months.
Chandrababu hoisted the party flag at NTR Bhavan and later visited NTR Ghat and paid homage to the TDP founder-president.
"TDP's birth was historic. The party has faced many challenges and ups and downs in its 34-year journey, but we bravely withstood everything and have remained a strong force," he told the party rank and file at NTR Bhavan.
The ordinary workers have always been the backbone of TDP and it is because of their "relentless efforts" that the party has stood strong, he noted.
The TDP chief recalled the important milestones in the party's journey and said the late NTR would forever remain in the hearts of the people, particularly the downtrodden. He declared that TDP would continue to strive for the welfare of all Telugu people.
AP Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, state ministers, Telangana TDP president L Ramana and senior party leaders Motkupalli Narasimhulu and Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy were among those present on the occasion.
Incidentally, during last year's Mahanadu, the TDP
declared itself as a national party though the EC did not recognise it as such.
"We are in power in AP. In Telangana, we are a strong opposition party. Our leaders won (local) elections in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are now trying to expand to Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Karnataka," the political resolution said.
TDP said politics in the country was acquiring a new face as parties and leaders who earned the people's goodwill were securing consecutive electoral victories.
"Naveen Patnaik government was voted to power four consecutive times in Odisha. BJP governments in Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh were voted to power three times in a row. Governments in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal came back to power. In future, no government can be formed at the Centre without strong regional parties," the TDP said in the resolution.
The Congress that once ruled the country so powerfully has now been reduced to "less than a regional party". The Left parties too were reduced to nominal forces except in Kerala as they "got distanced from people", it said.
"The Left parties are struggling to prove their existence by taking up agitation programmes just for the sake of formality," the TDP added.
