Chandrababu Naidu seeks vote for Hyderabad's development

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday launched TDP-BJP alliance's campaign for Hyderabad municipal elections, promising to once again develop the city.

Claiming credit for Hyderabad's progress as an information technology hub, Naidu, who is also the Telugu Desam Party chief, appealed to people to give power to TDP-BJP alliance in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to ensure that the city is put back on the path of development.

The alliance launched its poll campaign with a public meeting at Nizam College Grounds on Tuesday night. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and central ministers J. P. Nadda and Bandaru Dattatreya besides Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh, TDP and BJP's Telangana unit leaders addressed the meeting.

Naidu urged people to vote for TDP-BJP alliance in GHMC polls to make a beginning for bringing the alliance to power in Telangana in 2019 elections.

Elections for 150-member GHMC are scheduled to be held on February 2.

Describing both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as his two eyes, Naidu said he would continue to work for the progress of all Telugu people with the help from BJP-led NDA government in which the TDP is a partner.

The Andhra chief minister told people that he came to the public meeting straight from Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, where the state government signed MoUs worth Rs.5 lakh crore with various companies.

The TDP chief said Hyderabad can never forget him as he was the one who put the city on the world IT map as the chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh and with the help of then NDA government transformed it by launching mega projects like the international airport, world-class outer ring road, MMTS and setting up of institutes like Indian School of Business, NALSAR University of Law, International Institute of Information Technology and Urdu University.

Naidu's son Lokesh targeted ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana for failing to deliver on its promises despite a surplus budget of Rs.16,000 crore. He compared this with the performance of TDP government in Andhra Pradesh, which, he claimed, was making rapid strides despite revenue deficit.

Nadda said NDA was treating both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh equally. He said the central government recently sanctioned highway projects worth Rs.43,000 crore for Telangana.

Dattatreya said if Hyderabad was to be developed as a global city, Telangana needs support from the central government. He claimed that TDP-BJP alliance alone can ensure city's development.