Party workers should counter opposition attack, says Naidu

• TDP supremo says position in govt or party is only to serve people better and not for self-aggrandisement
• Party cadre need to act as a ‘bridge’ between the government and the people
• Dismisses the charge of discrimination against Rayalaseema as Pattiseema will provide 80 tmc feet of water to Seema

Tirupati: TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu exhorted his party activists to be well prepared to repulse the opposition attack. In his 90-minute speech, Naidu dwelt at length on his government’s achievements, repeatedly assailed the opposition and asked the cadre to counter opposition’s attack with facts and figures.

Addressing the party’s State general body meeting named – ‘Disa Nirdesa Sadassu’ (roadmap session) here on Friday, TDP chief said that the opposition parties unleashed a virulent attack on the TDP government unable to digest its impressive performance and it was the responsibility of the loyal party activists to thwart the false propaganda intended to defame the government.

In the same breath, Naidu cautioned the activists and leaders against disunity in the party and said that the party would be damaged if they failed to work together setting aside their differences.

Naidu further said that the positions like MP, MLA, MLC, Minister and party posts they get are only to serve the people in a better manner and not for self-aggrandisement and wanted them to strive hard to fulfill the aspirations of the people. ``You must act as a bridge between the government and the people, to take the development and welfare schemes to them. If you fail to perform, the day is not far away for the people to throw you out in the coming elections,’’ he warned party cadre.

Naidu urged the activists to remain enlightened on party policies, programmes and also government developmental works and welfare schemes to expose how the opposition parties coming in the way of development of the State, with their destructive attitude. He wanted them to come with new ideas adding more to the government’s developmental initiatives to accelerate growth.

The party chief did not miss the opportunity to hit at the efforts to revive Rayalaseema movement and reeled out the initiatives taken by the government in the past 18 months for the development of the region more so for the completion of the pending projects to make the Seema a drought-free zone. ``Pattiseema was completed in a record time to utilise the 80 tmc feet of Godavari waters going waste in to sea, to enable the government allot Srisailam dam waters on priority basis to Rayalaseema,’’ he said rejecting charge of discrimination against any region and injustice to anyone.

Taking a dig at the demand for maintenance of water level in Srisailam dam at 854 ft, he said when there was no water at all where the question of maintaining the levels.

Stating that it was the Centre which meted out the raw deal to the State (during the bifurcation of the united AP) and so it was its bounden duty now to rectify it, Naidu said his government is not sparing any efforts to get the special status and also derive maximum financial support to the State to overcome the precarious financial position. He criticized the opposition for casting aspersions on TDP government on the issue.

Naidu said that the meet assumes significance as it was being held following full-fledged party executive bodies were set up for AP and Telangana, after bifurcation to have an in-depth discussion on the future course of the party.

The two-day session began with party State president Kala Venkat Rao’s welcome address in which Rao said that the meet would evolve a mechanism to ensure the active participation of the party activists in the government development process.