Vijayawada: Chief Minister and Telugu Desam supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu stated that TD will endure as long as Telugu people exist. He insisted that every member of the party is a successor to NTR’s legacy, reiterating that he sees himself merely as the team leader.Participating in a grand celebration on occasion of the party’s 43rd Foundation Day at the TD central office, Chandrababu Naidu expressed his pride that the party had become a beacon of hope for the welfare of the poor when late N.T. Rama Rao took over as chief minister of AP soon after forming TD.The CM, along with party leaders and activists, garlanded the statue of late NTR at the party office at Mangalagiri and unfurled the party flag.He underlined that those who had vowed to eliminate TD have disappeared into oblivion. The party faced several crises in the past 43 years but converted each of them into an opportunity. “Days will come when TD will be remembered forever. Its rule will be called a golden era.,” he declared.The Chief Minister said the party has overcome several challenges only because of the staunch support of the cadre. He observed, “I wholeheartedly bow before all the yellow soldiers who feel that the party is their life.” He maintained that TD had taken birth only to ensure the self-respect of Telugus.Chandrababu Naidu said TD has stood solidly behind women, besides getting global recognition for the entire Telugu community. It supported the farming sector. It rigidly follows social justice. Only after the TD came into existence, SCs, STs and BCs, along with women, emerged into power. Till then, BCs did not even have proper recognition. “We have brought recognition to BCs as the backbone of society,” he remarked.The CM maintained that the Telugu Desam is not a regional party. It played a crucial role at the national level when the National Front had been in power. TD played a pivotal role during the NDA-1 and NDA-2 tenures and even now. It is only the TD that is recognised in Parliament as the main opposition, he emphasised.Chandrababu Naidu underlined that the TD, BJP and Jana Sena came together only to save the beleaguered Andhra Pradesh and to rebuild the state. He pointed out that the alliance had achieved a 93 per cent strike rate.Expressing concern that the previous rulers put the state in Rs 9.74 lakh debt, the Chief Minister said the situation has come to such a pass that even development halted. “The TD-led NDA takes the responsibility to develop the state. We have already revised the pension from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000. Immediately after coming back to power, we have again revised the pensions for all sections. All this is only from the human angle. We are spending Rs 33,000 crore for payment of pensions alone,” Chandrababu Naidu told the huge gathering.
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