Hyderabad: Having largely developed the Telangana region during its rule in Andhra Pradesh, only the Telugu Desam could rebuild a modern Telangana once the new state comes into existence, party president N. Chandrababu Naidu said here on Saturday.
"Nobody else has developed Telangana region as we did during the TDP rule. We not only developed Hyderabad and Secunderabad twin cities but also created a new city Cyberabad and put Hyderabad as a whole on the international map. And, once the new state of Telangana comes into being, only the TDP can develop it further," Chandrababu said addressing a largely-attended meeting of party workers from the region here Saturday afternoon.
"We challenged other parties for a public debate on the development of Telangana but none came forward. I once again challenge them for a debate and we are ready to prove what we did for the development of Telangana," the former Chief Minister said.
He recalled that the erstwhile TDP government set up schools, colleges, hospitals and created infrastructure like roads, irrigation projects besides strengthening power generation and distribution systems.
"The reforms we brought in ensured there was no power crisis in Telangana. But now a power crisis again stares at Telangana," he added.
Maintaining that the TDP never went back on its commitment for a Telangana state, Chandrababu lamented that the party was needlessly blamed on the issue only to politically weaken it.
"The TDP always goes by the public wishes. We stood firm on our word on Telangana. What we wanted was equal justice to all regions in the event of bifurcation. But they indulged in a lot of mudslinging only to politically weaken us. But the TDP is a strong cadre-based party and our cadres are intact in Telangana as much as in Seemaandhra. None can wipe out Telugu Desam Party," Chandrababu stressed.
It was a historic necessity that the TDP was voted back to power both in Telangana and (residuary) Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said and exuded confidence that it would happen.
"We will not only come to power in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but also play a decisive role in national politics yet again. One should remember that the TDP played the lead role in formation of three non-Congress governments at the Centre," he pointed out.
Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader Nama Nageswara Rao, MP Ramesh Rathod, senior leaders Errabilli Dayakar Rao, Motkupalli Narasimhulu and others too spoke on the occasion.
