Telugu Desam party: 25 years of journey

Telugu Desam party: 25 years of journey

Milestones in Telugu Desam Party history:
1. Before 1982 –politics in Andhra means – The congress party and its inner politics which was ruling the state since 1953. Even though there was communist party but with little significance and not as an alternative to the congress party. But since 1983, Telugu Desam Party changed the scenario and equations in Andhra Pradesh.

2. There was not much recognition to A.P at national level. People in other states call the Telugu people as Madrasis (even though A.P was separated from Tamilnadu 30 years back).

3. T.D.P restored the self respect of the Telugu speaking pupil. Now Telugu language was used extensively in the administration of the A.P government and the central government at Delhi could not change the chief ministers often as did previously in the congress government.

4. N.T.Ramarao in his special van (enlightened chariot) travelled through each and every village and town of A.P state and covered 35,000 kilometers in the entire state. NTR used to take bath on the road side and visited the nook and corner of entire state. He reacted to their grievances sympathetically and won their hearts forever.

5. Social revolution: He changed the political fortunes of backward class people in Andhra Pradesh. The thought of constructing pucca permanent buildings to the poor for the first time was the brain child of T.D.P only .The programme of giving rice for Rs.2/- per kilogram made N.T.Ramarao Rao the living God.

6. Abolition of Karanamns and creation of Mandal administration, 30% reservation for women are other daring acts of Telugu Desam government.

7. Even though T.D.P is a regional party. It played a key role in the central level and also acted as a main opposition in the Parliament during 1984-89.

8. Telugu Desam got a good name as a party of having honest polices and also kept the promises given by it to the people.

9. T.D.P believes that hard work only gives good results. The administration went to the villages and conducted village level meetings and also Janmabhoomi propramme by which it brought the administration to the door step of people.

10. It is the most disciplined party among Indian political parties.

Telugu Desam party stood united in the turbulent periods of 1984 August crisis, 1989 defeat and 2004 crash. There is an urgent need to reenergize the party by including more youth in the party administration. Chandrababu Naidu should steer the party away from money politics.

Jai Telugu Desam! Jai Jai NTR‼

NTR in the WEEK magazine's list of 25 street fighters

NTR in the WEEK magazine's list of 25 street fighters

The WEEK magazine included Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) as street fighter in its Republic Day special. The magazine listed 25 great street fighters from all over India. L.K.Advani of BJP, Mamata Banarjee of Trinamool Congress, Spiritual Guru Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar, VHP president Ashok Singhal and Revolutionary Singer Gaddar are other eminent personalities in the list.

Highlights of the Article:

• He was an actor for many years, before he joined politics by launching Telugu Desam Party 1982.
• His famous slogan is "Arise, awaken, the Telugu nation is calling". He was inspired by Swami Vivekananda.
• His political philosophy was based on the self respect of the Telugu People.
• Theatricality was NTR's hallmark.
• NTR became the chief minister of Andhra pradesh in 1983 just with in the 9 months of Telugu Desam party formation.
• His mentor is MGR (Tamilnadu chief minister at that time) in politics.
• NT Rama Rao announced many populist schemes like Rs.2 per Kg of rice.
• He is the only political leader who can match Indira Gandhi in charisma.
• He believed that society was his temple and the poor man, the GOD in it.
• NTR was never charged with corruption. He did not allow anyone to make money on the files he signed.
• NTR died in 1996 at the age of 73.

We may never see a political personality like NT Rama Rao in the Andhra politics.

Telugudesam Party: Flag and Symbol

Telugudesam Party: Flag and Symbol

1. Motto behind the formation of the Flag:

People of the Andhra treats the yellow color as holy in nature. So N.T.Ramarao [N.T.R], the founder president of the party, wished to have that color to the party flag.

The hut in the flag is the symbol that stands for the poor.

The wheel in the flag is the symbol for the workers.

The plough is for the farmers.

He wished to express that his party stands to serve for these three groups of the people who form a major chunk in the society.

2. CYCLE: Party symbol of the Telugu Desam party.

When Alluru formed as new election constituency in the Nellore district, Sri Bezawada Papireddy contested as MLA and won the election in 1967 as an independent candidate against the congress candidate. His election symbol was the ‘Bicycle’. Later Papireddy joined the Telugudesam party.

One day N.T.R. was holding party meeting with the workers to discuss about the election symbol for the party. Papireddy suggested the cycle as the symbol of the party. First of all N.T.R did not show much interest, but after a while he announced that he is going to request the election commission to allot the ‘Bicycle’ as the election symbol of his party.

In the ensuing 1983 assembly elections, this announcement made everybody into astonishment. Thus the bicycle has become election symbol of the Telugudesam party officially.

Slogans of the Telugudesam party during 1983 elections:

1. 1 Kg of rice for two rupees only
2. preserving the self respect of the Telugu people (Andhra Pride).
3. No dominance of Delhi politics over Andhras.
4. Politics should be pure and corruption free.
5. We should not live at the charity of others.

NT Ramarao won in the 1983 assembly elections and sworn in as chief minister on 9th January, 1983.