Date:24/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062459030300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Regionalism costs TDP dear, says Paladugu

G.V. Ramana Rao

‘No chance of such development in Congress’

GUDIVADA: Regionalism, which was the plank of the Telugu Desam Party to establish itself in the State, has today become the reason for it to split up, according to Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao.

Referring to the day’s developments in the TDP at a farmers’ rally organised here on Monday to celebrate the Rs. 72,000-crore loan waiver announced by the Central Government, he said there was absolutely no chance of such political developments occurring in a nationalist party like the Congress.

He recalled that N.T. Rama Rao established the TDP on the grounds that the Congress, which was ruling the country, was not giving respect to Telugus and it was undermining the self-respect of the Telugus. He said for a nationalist party like the Congress, all were equal. Even political stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhai Patel were the same to the party. He said only the Congress had the vision to keep the nation together.

Mr. Venkata Rao said the Rs. 72,000-crore loan waiver for farmers was part of a larger plan to put food on the table of 120 crore people living in the country. The party was pushing for the nuclear deal with the US mainly to meet the power required for food production.

Kankipadu MLA Devineni Rajasekhar recalled how N.T. Rama Rao predicted that the TDP would die with him and the prophecy of the man, who founded the party, was now coming true. He said former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had become party chief by “backstabbing” NTR. He was meeting the same fate at the hands of his partymen now, he said.

Machilipatnam MP Badiga Ramakrishna, former Zilla Parishad chairman Pinnamaneni Koteswara Rao, Minister Koneru Ranga Rao, Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao, MLAs K.P. Saradhi, Perni Venkataramayya, Meka Venkata Pratapa Appa Rao, Mudraboina Venkateswara Rao, Yerneni Raja Ramchander, MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah, district president Segu Venkateswarlu, APCC executive member Kolanukonda Sivaji, former UDA chairman Malladi Vishnu, Machilipatnam municipal chairman Silar Dada and several other local leaders spoke.