Andhra CM foresees drastic changes after 2019 polls

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the country's political scene will witness drastic changes after the 2019 general elections.

A day after sharing dais with Congress President Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other non-BJP parties at the swearing-in of Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo predicted that his party will play a key role in national politics.

Addressing 'Mahanadu' or the annual conclave of TDP's Telangana unit, he recalled that TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao had formed the National Front and played a key role in the formation of the Third Front in 1996 and in making H.D. Deve Gowda the Prime Minister.

In an obvious reference to the initiative of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to float a Federal Front, Naidu said it was the TDP which formed a front against both the Congress and the BJP.

The TDP chief said he had clarified 20 years ago that he doesn't need the Prime Minister's post and claimed that he twice got the opportunity to become the Prime Minister but he declined.

"Serving people is more important than the Prime Minister's post. I am still in politics to serve the people and not for posts. Serving the state's people is my goal," said Naidu, who recently completed 40 years in politics.

Naidu targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for meting out "injustice" to both Telugu states by not fulfilling the commitments made at the time of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He said the TDP quit the BJP-led NDA recently for its refusal to fulfil the commitment on special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He also reminded the central government about its commitments to set up a tribal university and a steel factory in Telangana.

Alleging that the BJP was hatching conspiracies against the TDP, Naidu said nobody could do any harm to the party as it enjoyed the backing of people.

Naidu said that he visited Karnataka for the sake of justice for Telangana. He vowed to continue a united fight with like-minded people to seek justice for the state.

Naidu, who served as the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh for nine years, recalled the TDP's role in the development of Hyderabad.

Claiming that the city once lacked even drinking water supply, he said if it now became a leading city it was because of TDP's efforts.

He claimed that it was because of the efforts made during his rule that areas surrounding Hyderabad witnessed rapid development.

The TDP chief said that he built the Hitec City (information technology park) for the future of the young generation and founded Cyberabad. He said he visited different parts of the world to attract investment in Hyderabad.

--IANS

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