Naidu re-elected TDP chief

Nara Chandrababu Naidu was re-elected president of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) unanimously for the seventh time in a row on the concluding day of ‘Mahanadu' here on Saturday. The process of election that commenced on Friday was completed this afternoon, though it was a mere formality.

In his concluding speech, Mr. Naidu thanked the party delegates for re-electing him and giving him another opportunity to serve the party. He promised to spend equal time for the party and the people and pledged to protect every party worker, stating that it was because of the committed activists the party was so close to people.

There was a historic necessity to bring TDP back in power as “problems cloud the State every time Congress returned to power,” he said and pointed out that the present situation was an example.

The TDP chief claimed that manipulation of voting was possible in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and sought a nationwide debate on the issue as 14 political parties had already expressed reservations over the EVMs. He demanded that the State government hold party-based and direct elections to local bodies.

Speaking on the resolution relating to law and order in the State earlier, Mr. Naidu demanded scrapping of the Committee on Public Security headed by K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao as it had failed to take stock of the situation.

Alleging that Congress government was behind the murder of TDP activists during the last six years he said: “Had the previous TDP government thought on the same lines, no Congress man would have been alive.”

He blamed political mafia for the violent incidents at Mahabubabad in Warangal district on Friday and felt lack of freedom in functioning was incapacitating the police.

Coming down heavily on ‘Jalayagnam', the TDP chief said it was difficult to complete the projects taken up even in the next three decades.

He demanded that the government announce Polavaram and Pranahita-Chevella as national projects.

Centre trying hard to split State: Ashok

P.Ashok Gajapati Raju, TDP Polit Bureau member and MLA, has said 219 MLAs out of 294 in the Assembly had so far resigned after Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram made a statement on separate statehood for Telengana on December 9. Though the MLAs submitted resignations, then Governor N.D. Tiwari had not felt it as a constitutional crisis but was busy with his other activities that brought disrepute to the gubernatorial post. Yet, the Centre is trying hard to split the State. There was need to begin stir once again for the unified State, he felt. The hidden agenda of both the State and Central governments would put people to hardship in the near future. Already following corrupt practices of the Ministers and present unrest industrialists had been looking towards other states for investments.

Expressing concern over rising prices of essential commodities that burdened the poor and middle classes, he said at the district committee meeting of the party on Wednesday, the government instead of making efforts to control soaring prices slapped additional taxes on all items. As a responsible Opposition party there was need to fight against the government for the welfare of people, he added.

Party observer and State general secretary B. Umamaheswara Rao doubted whether or not the government existed in the state. He called upon the party men to launch an agitation on soaring prices and demanded Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to order Vigilance sleuths to conduct raids on hoarders to control prices. Party district convenor and MLA Kolla Lalitha Kumari and party leaders Gadde Babu Rao, Y. Ramana Murty, R.P. Banj Deo, Sobha Hymavathi, G. Sandhya Rani and D. Jagadish participated.