TDP role crucial in natl politics

Despite being a regional party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has played a significant role in national politics and in forming governments at the Centre on multiple occasions, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stated on Friday.
Addressing a meeting of TDP MPs, MLAs, and MLCs, he remarked, “Although we are a regional party, we have played crucial roles in national politics. At one point, we were in a leading position, forming both the National Front and the United Front, and contributing to the formation of governments at the Centre.”
Naidu highlighted that the TDP had previously supported the government led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for six years without expecting any positions in return.
He noted that Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan was the first to approach him before the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls regarding an alliance with the TDP, as he wanted to prevent a split in the opposition votes. The BJP later approached the TDP, requesting them to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Criticising the previous government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu pointed out that the state is now burdened with a debt of ?10.5 lakh crore. He expressed gratitude for the Centre’s assistance, stating that the state would have faced a much worse situation without it.
Naidu urged his party MLAs not to repeat the “mistakes” made by YSRCP leaders during their tenure, emphasising that party leaders should refrain from engaging in the liquor trade unless it is part of their family business. “We all need to maintain some discipline in this,” he said.
Regarding the BJP’s expansion, Naidu mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with NDA Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers in Chandigarh, where Modi sat for five hours, signalling his readiness for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.