The Telugu Desam Party on Saturday reiterated its commitment to Samaikya (united) Andhra Pradesh and vowed to put up a spirited fight against the ruling Congress Party in the ensuing elections to Panchayat Raj bodies in the state.
Inaugurating the party's three-day Mahanadu (annual convention) in this coastal city in East Godavari district, TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, "TDP has always been for Samaikya AP. The state came into being on linguistic basis. AP is the foremost among the linguistic states. TDP has the same stand on Samaikya AP yesterday, today and tomorrow, because the development and progress of backward areas is possible only in a united state."
Exuding the hope that AP would remain united, he said, "No one among the TDP leaders has any reservations on Samaikya AP. When the party founder N T Rama Rao launched the TDP and when during his cinematic career, he promoted Samaikya AP."
Naidu lashed out at the Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and other parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party for deceiving the people on the Telangana issue. These parties were shifting their stand on separate Telangana state when in power or in the opposition. But the people realised their opportunistic game, he added.
Reminding his partymen that panchayat polls are round the corner in the state, he said that the Congress was making attempts to win the elections through enrolment of bogus voters and deletion of names of TDP supporters from the electoral rolls.
The Congress was also resorting to other manipulations. Though such deceptive means, the Congress had won the municipal polls in 2005.
"We have to put up a formidable fight in the ensuing Panchayat Raj elections. The time has come to put an end to the manipulations of the Congress. After failing on all fronts in the last two years, the Congress wants to use money power to win the panchayat elections," he said and exhorted his party leaders and cadres to create awareness among the people in this regard.
He said it was time for the TDP leaders for introspection. The party has been in the opposition in the last two years and it would remain so in the next three years.
"When the next (Assembly) elections are held, there is no doubt that TDP will storm back to power," he said and accused the Congress of making attempts to suppress and demoralise the TDP leaders and cadres. So far 86 TDP men were killed, but despite the 'murder politics' pursued by Congress, no one has left the TDP.
He said the Mahanadu would discuss and finalise an action plan on the public issues on which the party would launch agitations from the local level to state level. "We will chalk out plans to struggle for the people's cause, how to get closer to the people and how to solve their problems. We will strengthen the organisation wherever it is weak and work for the people. We will identify effective leaders and take up programmes from time to time," he said
Emphasising the need for activating the party for the sake of the people, he admitted that certain sections and groups of people had moved away from the party.
"We have to bring them closer. We have to regain the confidence of the minorities who had drifted away from our party. TDP is not against anyone. We are for all-round development of all sections, all religious communities, all castes and all regions without any discrimination," he added.
He said that some leaders had left the party due to certain reasons. "I want to bring them back to strengthen the party. All those who can help the party and work for its success, we will welcome them," he said in an oblique reference to the recent 'home-coming' of his brother-in-law Nandamuri Harikrishna (NTR's son) and his brother Nara Ramamurthy Naidu to the party.