Will make Seemandhra like South Korea: Naidu

VIZIANAGARAM: At his first public meeting in Seemandhra after the passage of the state bifurcation bill in Parliament, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu appeared a much-relieved man at Vizianagaram on Wednesday when he said that the large turnout of people was indeed a confidence-booster to him.

Apparently in high spirits, the TDP chief went on making one promise after the other to both Seemandhra and Telangana people.

At a time when his party is facing an uncertain future in both regions, Naidu made an attempt to use his image as the one who brought IT development to Hyderabad to queer the pitch in his favour in Seemandhra by vowing to develop it on a par with South Korea and China.

For Telangana, he promised to achieve the long-cherished dream of social Telangana, thus trying to justify his stand of equal justice for both regions.

He assured of BC status to Kapu, Balija and Telaga communities and allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for their welfare. He also promised a pay hike to the Anganwadi teachers, increase of government employees retirement age to 60 and a big push to agro-industries in Vizianagaram district.

As thousands of people poured into the Ayodhya grounds here for the party's public meeting Praja Garjana, Naidu sought to lay the entire blame for the bifurcation of the state on Congress president Sonia Gandhi stating that she had split the state purely for electoral gains without ensuring equal justice to the people.

Even today people of both regions were very friendly and together with no sign of hostility. If at all there was any dissent or anger among them, it was only against Sonia and the Congress, he said.

'I spent sleepless nights for the past six months. I met many leaders at Delhi and explained to them the Congress' policies that adversely affected the interests of Telugu people and sought their help to stop the division of Andhra Pradesh without ensuring equal justice to both regions.

Even Narendra Modi acknowledged that the division of Andhra Pradesh was unjust. I expected the BJP to fight for equal justice, but they failed to stand up for the cause,' Chandrababu Naidu poured out his anguish.

Expressing confidence that the TDP would come to power in both regions, he said he would definitely protect the Telugu unity.

Naidu alleged that Sonia Gandhi had supported several corrupt leaders, including YS Jaganmohan Reddy and local MLA Botcha Satyanarayana, who, he said, was a ganja plant.