Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) celebrated its 43rd Foundation Day with grand fervor at the party’s central office, NTR Bhavan in Mangalagiri. Speaking at the event, Lokesh, TDP National General Secretary and Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education and IT, Nara Lokesh emphasized that the TDP flag symbolizes an emotion and a movement that has weathered both victories and crises over the past four decades. “The unwavering commitment of our cadre is unparalleled. No matter the hardships, our workers have never let the yellow flag fall,” he asserted.

The name NTR is not just a name; it is a phenomenon,” he stated, referring to the party’s founder, the late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao. Lokesh highlighted that the backbone of TDP is its dedicated cadre. “From Anji Reddy Thatha, who stood fearless against adversaries, to Chandrayya, who embraced martyrdom while chanting ‘Jai Telugu Desam,’ our workers have shown immense courage. Even in the face of brutal attacks, leaders like Manjula remained firm at polling booths,” he noted, paying homage to the sacrifices made by party activists.

 “Our initiatives, such as ₹2 per kg rice, pucca houses for the poor, reservation for women in education and employment, and economic empowerment for Backward Classes, have set benchmarks in governance,” he claimed.

Lokesh spoke about the challenges faced by the party, especially post-2019. “We have endured anarchy, faced attacks on temples, and even seen our leader’s house locked. But we never backed down. In 2024, we achieved a 94% strike rate and a 58% vote share, sweeping eight districts clean,” he declared. He criticized opponents who once vowed to eliminate TDP. “Many tried to bury our party, but today, they have no political address. The people have reaffirmed their faith in us,” he remarked.

Lokesh reiterated TDP’s commitment to eradicating poverty. “We increased pensions from Rs.200 to Rs.4,000 and are now giving Rs.6,000 to the differently-abled and Rs.15,000 to those who are bedridden. We distributed nearly one crore free LPG cylinders and will soon release a DSC notification for 16,347 posts,” he announced. He emphasized the government’s focus on welfare. “Out of 177 manifesto promises, 55 have been fully implemented, and 49 partially fulfilled within just nine months of governance,” he added.

He announced a record-breaking membership drive. “We enrolled over 1.02 crore members within 83 days, with over 1.5 million in Andhra Pradesh alone. We also increased the party’s accident insurance cover from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh, spending Rs.140 crore for worker welfare,” he revealed.