The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) celebrated its 42nd formation on Friday with the party’s national president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reiterating the party’s commitment to work for the golden future of the Telugu people with the same dedication.
Naidu, who is currently leading the party’s election campaign, celebrated the occasion with the party leaders and cadres at Kadiri in Satya Sai district by cutting a cake and paying tributes to party’s founder and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao.
He greeted TDP supporters, workers and leaders.
“TDP completed 42 years since its formation. This is the day that Telugu people got recognition, self-respect, and both welfare and development programmes were introduced for the people. As a regional party, we went forward with national feelings and created a unique place in the country. It is the Telugu Desam era for the Telugus. People will remember it as before and after TDP,” he said.
Naidu recalled that it was on this day in 1982 that N.T. Rama Rao floated TDP with inspiration from great heroes like Kandukuri Veereshalingam, Gurajada Apparao, Potti Sriramulu, BR Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phule.
Naidu said that NTR introduced welfare rule in the politics of the country by declaring that politics is not about enjoying power but it is about serving the people.
“He believes that people from weaker sections and backward classes should not remain mere voters but should reach the positions of power and for this he gave them posts in the party and the administration,” he said.
“From that day till today, Telugu Desam has been engaged in the service of the Telugu people with the aim of promoting the recognition and progress of the Telugu people,” he said.
The TDP celebrated its 42nd formation day a few weeks before simultaneous elections to Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha.
The polls are considered crucial for the future of the party as 73-year-old Naidu has already called it last election of his political career.
Naidu’s wife and NTR’s daughter N. Bhuvaneswari paid tributes to the late leader by garlanding his statue at their residence at Undavalli in Amaravati. She also cut the cake to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh posted on X that TDP was born for self-respect of Telugu people.
He asserted that the yellow flag stands for the oppressed classes.
He said that TDP is working tirelessly for the development of Telugu states and the welfare of the people.
On March 29, 1982, N.T. Rama Rao, a popular Telugu actor, formed the TDP on the slogan of Telugu self-respect.
NTR, as he was popularly called, created a record of sorts by coming to power within nine months of forming the party.
NTR died in January 1996, a few months after his son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu led a revolt against him to become the chief minister of then undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu led TDP to power in 1999 and remained chief minister till 2004, when Congress wrested the power. After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, TDP formed the first government in the residuary state.
In 2019, the party lost power to YSR Congress led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.