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Telugu Desam Party (TDP)



Telugu Desam Party History Symbol

About Telugu Desam Party History



The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), roughly translated as ‘Telugu Land and People’s Party’, is a regional political party, as approved by the Election Commission of India. Its mass base is primarily in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India.
The Telugu Desam Party has a centre-left political position and operates on the political ideologies of Populism, Regionalism and Social Liberalism. The basic appeal of the TDP is in its fight to build a welfare state for the Telugus, based on minority welfare schemes and social justice for one and all.

Formed in March 1982 by the social activist and politician Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, famously revered as NTR, the TDP has gained massive support among the people of Andhra Pradesh, owing to its dedications to uphold a secular policy, while at the same time, fiercely protesting against the blatant corruption of the Congress ministry. In the famous words of NTR, “Society is a temple, and people are deities.”

The presence of the Telugu Desam Party has been historic in many ways. It was one of the few Indian political parties to come to power within barely nine months of its formation. The TDP formed the historic first non-Congress government in Andhra Pradesh by winning a sweeping majority in the 1983 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections. Again, the TDP was the first regional party in independent India to have formed the opposition in the 8th Lok Sabha (1984). Leaving behind the BJP which won a meagre 2 seats in the Parliament, the TDP won an impressive 33 seats in the Lok Sabha, with the Congress forming the government.

Presently, the chairperson of the Telugu Desam Party is Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who took over the party after NTR, in 1995. The TDP has formed the government in Andhra Pradesh twice, from 1983-1989 and from 1994-2004. The leader of the Lok Sabha from the TDP is Nama Nageswara Rao, while the Leader of the Rajya Sabha from the party is Tulla Devender Goud. For the upcoming general elections in 2014, the TDP is currently looking for political coalition with its one-time ally, the BJP. The Telugu Desam Party has kept silent on the bifurcation of the state, which has earned the party criticism from other political outfits in the state have protested against the creation of Telangana.

Election Symbol of TDP

The Election Symbol of the TDP is “Bicycle”. It is usually drawn on a yellow-coloured background. The colour yellow, used to depict the TDP, has immense symbolism, as it denotes what the party stands for. Yellow is the colour of brightness, of prosperity, happiness and wealth. The Election Symbol of the bicycle coupled with the yellow background is used to indicate that the TDP, by its simple measures and welfare policies, will bring happiness and prosperity to the Telugu-speaking people and all minority sections of the population across the state. As the party website pronounces its slogan, “Dare to dream . . . strive to achieve.” The Bicycle Election Symbol of the TDP is significant, as it symbolizes the march of the party towards overall progress and development of the various communities of the state. Like a bicycle which is used as a vehicle to reach a destination, the TDP ensures that it reaches its destination of achieving justice through struggle and protests and bring forth anti-capitalist and anti-globalization policies and schemes across Andhra Pradesh.

Leaders of the TDP

The leaders of the Telugu Desam Party, who are also the national executives of the party, are listed below:
  • Nara Chandrababu Naidu, President of the TDP: He became the 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when the TDP came to power in the state in 1994. He is presently the Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislature. Naidu has been felicitated with a number of awards owing to his development-oriented policies in the state. Some of these awards are: ‘IT Indian of the Millennium’ by India Today and ‘Business Person of the Year’ by Economic Times.
  • Nama Nageswara Rao, Leader in Lok Sabha: He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha, representing the Khammam constituency. Tulla Devender Goud, Leader in Rajya Sabha: He remains a former MLA in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, representing the Medchal constituency. Though he had founded the Nava Telangana Praja Party (NTP) to fight for the creation of the separate state of Telangana, he came out of the NTP and rejoined back the parent political outfit.
  • C. M. Ramesh, Vice President
  • Kavali Pratibha Bharathi, Vice President
  • Mohammad Saleem, Vice President

  • Maganti Babu, Vice President
  • Teegala Krishna Reddy, Vice President
  • Gorantla Choudhary, General Secretary
  • G. Nagesh, General Secretary
  • N. Narsi Reddy, TDP Spokesperson
  • Kodela Shiva Prasad Rao, TDP Spokesperson
  • LVRK Prasad, Media Committee Chairman
The members of the 15th Lok Sabha from the TDP are the following:
  • Rathore Ramesh, representing the Adilabad constituency
  • Konakalla Narayan Rao, representing the Machilipatnam constituency
  • Kristappa Nimala, representing the Hindupur constituency
  • Modugula Venugopala Reddy, representing the Narasaraopet constituency
  • Naramalli Sivaprasad, representing the Chittoor constituency
The members of the Rajya Sabha from the TDP are:
  • Hari Krishna Nandamuri
  • Y.S. Chowdhary
  • Gundu Sudharani
  • C.M. Ramesh

Achievements of the TDP

As a regional political party, the Telugu Desam Party has had a number of significant achievements. Some of these are mentioned below:
  • The TDP, when in power, brought in immense development in the state of Andhra Pradesh, specifically in terms of the infrastructural initiatives taken by the Naidu government. These included construction of highways and bridges in the city of Hyderabad. The government also invested in making Hyderabad grow into its IT hub, providing employment not only to the youth in Andhra Pradesh but attracting talent from other regions as well.
  • The TDP has helped all-round development of the farmers by providing them loans at minimal interest; electrification of the rural areas; and providing cheap water facilities and maximum technological innovation to enhance the agricultural economy in the state.

  • Equal budget allocation has been made for Muslim and Christian minorities in the state, so that both these communities enjoy overall economic, political and social development.
  • Through the National Public Distribution System (NPDS), the TDP has made available cheap rice to Below Poverty Line families in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Other essential commodities in the families have been provided at subsidized rates by the party. Women empowerment has been focused upon, with 50% reservation for women in elected and constitutional bodies.
  • De-centralization of power in the local self-governing bodies has been one of the chief aims of the TDP. Not only administrative power, but financial independence has been given to the Zilla Parishads, Municipalities, Mandals and Municipal corporations.

Address and Contact details

  • Official Website of TDP: http://www.telugudesam.org/tdpcms
  • Head-office address of TDP: Telugudesam Party State Office, NTR Trust Bhavanam, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034, Andhra Pradesh
  • Contact No.: Phone: +914030699999, FAX: +914023542108
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Information Centre: 040-30269999
Last Updated on March 10, 2015