AP Politics

Telangana

Potti Sriramulu died this day in 1952 while fasting to separate the Telugu speaking people of then Madras Presidency. A year later, Andhra State was born with Kurnool as the capital. Andhra State was merged with Telangana region (then called Hyderabad State) in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh.


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http://www.rediff.com/election/2004/apr/14espec3.htm
Full Name

Telugu Desam Party

President

Nara Chandrababu Naidu

How did the party come into being?

After a long and successful reign as the Telugu film industry's most popular actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao -- or simply NTR -- was keen to do something for the people. He resolved to dedicate his life to social work after he turned 60. While filming Sardar Paparayudu in October 1981, he suddenly announced plans to float a political party.

When was it formed?

In March 1982. NTR turned 60 on May 28, 1982.

A film star in politics. How did he fare?

NTR built his Telugu Desam Party with the support of media baron Ramoji Rao, who owns Eenadu, the largest circulated newspaper in the state, and Congress dissident Kotla Bhaskara Rao, who later staged a coup against NTR in August 1984, with Indira Gandhi's help, and became chief minister for a while. Both stalwarts were members of NTR's Kamma community.

How did the party fare?

In January 1983, the TDP was catapulted to power with an absolute majority, winning 198 of the 294 assembly seats.

Was he that popular?

Have no doubt of that! NTR was a hugely popular actor, especially owing to several mythological roles which gave him the status of a demi-god in the minds of people. But that was not the only reason.

What was the other reason?

Andhra Pradesh was a Congress stronghold. In 1982, T Anjaiah was the chief minister but NTR was unhappy because he felt the government was being run from Delhi. The state had seen three chief ministers in five years.

The final straw came when Rajiv Gandhi, then a Congress general secretary, publicly rebuked Anjaiah at Hyderabad's Begumpet airport. There was an outcry and NTR decided he had had enough. He decided to contest the assembly election in January 1983.

What was his slogan?

Telugu atmagauravam (Telugu self respect)

Where did he get candidates from?

He invited applications from educated people to contest the elections.

Did he get any support from other parties?

He allied with Maneka Gandhi's Rashtriya Sanjay Manch.

Who runs the party now?

NTR's younger son-in-law Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

Who is Chandrababu Naidu?

He used to be a Congress leader till he lost the assembly election in 1983. He then joined the TDP. The nuts-and-bolts man, he helped build the party organisation and also served as minister under NTR till he rebelled in August 1995.

Did NTR court controversy?

When NTR was out of power between 1989 and 1994, he married Lakshmi Parvathi, his second wife.Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao

Who is Lakshmi Parvathi?

She met NTR while writing his biography. When he suffered a stroke and was bedridden, his family is alleged to have all but deserted him. At that time, Lakshmi Parvathi stood by him. Once he recovered, he offered to marry her.

Why didn't Naidu get along with her?

Not only Naidu, none in NTR's family is said to have liked her. After NTR regained power in 1995, she is reported to have become an extra-constitutional authority, which made her even more unpopular. Naidu, presumably worried that he was no longer NTR's heir apparent, rebelled once he was certain such a mutiny would get the support of NTR's family and TDP MLAs.

What did NTR do?

He could do nothing when Naidu took over the party and the chief minister's post with almost all the TDP MLAs backing him. Naidu was sworn in as chief minister on September 1, 1995.

What happened to NTR?

He died soon after, in January 1996.

How has the party fared since then?

Naidu is absolutely no match for NTR in charisma, but retained power in the 1999 assembly election on the plank of good governance. Since then he has made a widely publicised effort to develop and modernise his state. Naidu's critics say much of this initiative is make believe; the fruits of development have not passed on to most of the state's people.

How is the party governed today?

It does not have an elaborate organisational structure. Its apex decision-making body is a 14-member politburo headed by Naidu.

Its Parliamentary strength?

With 29 MPs, it has the largest number of members in the Lok Sabha among all the regional parties. Naidu formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 1999 general election, this after being convener of the United Front, which ruled India between 1996 and 1998,

Strengths?

Nara Chandrababu Naidu

What is his contribution?

He has strengthened the TDP network and is credited with making the party a major player in Indian politics. After the 1996 general election, he declined to lead the United Front government and instead preferred to be the kingmaker. His alliance with the BJP has paid off -- he has secured many sops for his state, more than any other BJP ally, even though he supports the the National Democratic Alliance only from outside.

Naidu's motto?

Fight problems, not people in politics.

Weaknesses?

Naidu is the TDP's only leader. There is no second-rung leadership. It is doubtful if his policies have made a positive impact in rural Andhra Pradesh. The farmers' suicides may come to haunt the TDP this election.

What makes the TDP different from other parties?

It was the first political party in India that issued a Vision 2020 document, which foresees an Andhra Pradesh where poverty is eradicated; where every citizen has access to not just the basic necessities but to all opportunities that will help him lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Its unique appeal?

Naidu is seen as a progressive leader. He enjoys the image of an IT-savvy chief minister, one who performs and delivers. He is the darling of the Westernised business class.

Naidu is now the longest serving chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

No mean feat that, when you consider some of the notables who have occupied that chair before him -- Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, P V Narasimha Rao, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, Jalagam Vengal Rao, Marri Chenna Reddy, and, of course, NTR.
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NTR died without medical aid, says physician
A fresh controversy has erupted over the death, more than five years ago, of Telugu Desam Party founder N T Rama Rao, with his family physician making the startling claim that the actor-turned-politician's death was "not instantaneous" and that "he died without any medical assistance". Dr Kaklarla Subba Rao, in his about-to-be-released biography of NTR co-authored with a top scientist, contends that his death was "certainly not instantaneous" and that there was a time lag between his developing uneasiness and breathing his last. The author thus virtually accuses the former chief minister's second wife Lakshmi Parvathi of allowing him to die.

In his 214-page book titled A Doctor's Story of Life and Death, the reputed radiologist, who was medical adviser to Rama Rao's family, says that NTR's wife having "called none of us would remain a very disturbing fact of history and a big hole in my consciousness".

"The last days of NTR were painful. Almost imprisoned by his wife, he was alienated from his people. Stories of his taking steroids to enhance his virility, so that he could father a son to Lakshmi Parvathi, created widespread disgust and loss of face to hundreds of very committed people who stood by him during the thick and thin in his life," noted Dr Subba Rao, who is now vice-chancellor of the city-based Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences.

The book, made available to the United News of India, observes that things started changing with NTR after his second marriage as "the new wife wove her web around him".

He also wonders whether the actor secretly took certain medicines, knowing well that they should be avoided.

Recalling his visit to NTR's house to congratulate him on his last electoral victory in 1994, Dr Subba Rao says he was shocked to see Lakshmi Parvathi feeding him with her hands and almost bragging about the care she gave the old man.

NTR swept that election, but not before marrying Lakshmi Parvathi, a party worker half his age. Things meanwhile started changing for him, or at least for the biographer.

"In the earlier days, he used to call me at late nights on trivial issues such as to confirm whether he should take a particular pill that had been prescribed to him by another doctor. But when I asked about his health this time, he very curtly said, 'What has happened to me? I am all right. "With my years in medicine behind me, I could feel something terribly wrong in him. Was he avoiding discussing his health?"

The book has been co-authored by former missile scientist Arun K Tiwari, who has penned a biography of the father of the Indian missile programme, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Tiwari is director of the Cardiovascular Technology Institute of the Care Foundation in Hyderabad.

Dr Subba Rao said he had respectfully declined the offer NTR had made to him to take over the reins of NIMS "as I hate political interference in the functioning of professional institutions".

NTR, however, made him agree to be adviser to the government for health services.

Dr Subba Rao said NTR's death in the early hours of January 18, 1996, was without the presence of any physician by his side. "A man who created NIMS died without getting medical assistance. That I could not do anything to save my mentor from his fiendish end would ever remain a tormenting guilt in me," he bemoaned.