Politicians, mining and land mafia ruling roost in A.P.: Naidu

Accusing the ruling Congress of failing to maintain law and order, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said “political mafia, mining mafia and land mafia” were ruling the roost in Andhra Pradesh.

“There is no security for people in the state because of the political mafia while the mining mafia has been plundering precious national wealth,” he told the valedictory session of the TDP’s three-day meet at Gandipet near here.

Naidu alleged that the police was being misused by the ruling party to serve its vested political interests.

He said the so-called safety and security committee in the state headed by Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Raohas has failed to do anything. “It should be disbanded forthwith,” he said.

The TDP chief strongly condemned the growing attacks on his party cadre by the ruling party. “We shall not tolerate these attacks and resist them by all means,” he said.

Mr. Naidu said no one could stop the TDP’s victory in any election in future. “But we want the Election Commission to do away with the Electronic Voting Machines and revert to the ballot paper system. EVMs can be used to rig the election and manipulate the result in favour of a particular party,” he said.

Earlier, film star and TDP founder-president N.T. Rama Rao’s son Nandamuri Balakrishna foresaw the possibility of mid-term elections in the state soon due to bickering within the ruling party.

“Be geared up for Assembly elections, not four years later but anytime soon,” said Mr. Balakrishna, who was one of the attractions at the ‘Mahanadu’ on the final day.

The TDP would return to power and Mr. Chandrababu would become Chief Minister whenever elections are held, he said.

Young star and Mr. Balakrishna’s nephew NTR Junior said he would work for the party “till the last drop of my blood.”

“My aim is to restore glory to the party and bring it back to power. I appeal to the party president to give due prominence to youth and women,” he said.

The three-day annual conference culminated with the unanimous re-election of Mr. Naidu as the TDP president for the 15th year in a row.

Balayya skips Mahanadu

The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Thursday said he would fight to get reservations for backward castes, women and minorities in legislative bodies.

In his inaugural address at the party’s three-day annual meet — Mahanadu — at Telugu Vijayam premises at Gandipet on the city outskirts, Mr Naidu asked his party workers to join him in this fight.

Extending indirect support to the Yadav trio in their approach to the quota for women, Mr Naidu declared that TD would fight along with other political parties to achieve this.

In his hour-long speech, Mr Naidu lashed out at the ruling Congress and said it was responsible for the rampant corruption and inefficiency in the state.

“The TD made the state proud with several infrastructure and IT projects, but the Congress only brought notoriety,” he said. No political party in the state could take on the Congress except the TD, he said, and praised party workers for their support despite being out of power.

More than 15,000 party delegates attended the 29th Mahanadu inaugural meet, but the NTR family members kept away from the session. It is learnt that actors Junior NTR and Balakrishna are going to Karamchedu village in Prakasam district on Friday to attend a meeting called by another son-in-law of NTR, Mr D. Venkateswara Rao, skipping the Mahanadu.

At the same time, Mr Naidu is making all efforts to convince them to attend the Mahanadu at least on May 29, the last day. Interestingly, Mr Lokesh Naidu also did not turn up at the meeting though the party cadre was hoping to see him in the backdrop of the TD chief’s comment that he would not stop his son from taking up a political career.

Balakrishna says he can lead TD if needed

Actor Balakrishna, son of the late NTR, dropped a bombshell on Monday by saying he would not mind taking over the reins of the Telugu Desam if required.

“If I get a chance I will not step back (from taking over the reins of the party)," he said while taking part in a chat show in a private TV channel. “I don’t know how things will shape up in future.”

Balakrishna’s name had been proposed by a section of leaders as party president after the defeat of the TD in 2009 polls. He also got support from his stepmother Lakshmi Parvathi, when he visited her recently.

His supporters were of the view that since Mr Naidu’s luck has run out the party could rope in Balakrishna to head the party while the former could focus on national affairs. However, Mr Naidu shot down the proposal. Balakrishna’s latest comments are seen as a direct threat to the TD president and could also intensify the dissidence against him.

The actor, fresh from the huge success of Simha, however, hastened to add that he had not taken any decision in this regard and was presently focussing on films. Balakrishna has got several film offers including one with Dasari Narayana Rao titled Param Vir Chakra and another untitled film with Puri Jagannath.

Along with Junior NTR, Balakrishna had also campaigned for the TD in the last elections, but neither of them took party membership. The actor had excused himself from politics saying he was busy with films and had said that he would take party membership at an appropriate time.

At present only Mr Nandamuri Harikrishna from NTR clan is active in the TD and is an MP.