HYDERABAD, 23 February 2004 - Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu last night exuded the confidence that the Telugu Desam Party would retain power in the ensuing assembly elections with a bigger majority.
Addressing a massive pre-poll rally at the sprawling Parade Grounds here, Naidu said that the success of the meeting gave him the confidence that "we will retain power in the state with a thumping majority in the forthcoming polls." He said that it was the biggest ever public meeting held in the annals of Hyderabad.
Naidu said that he had no doubt that the people would give him a massive mandate by electing his party for a third consecutive term. "The people elected the Telugu Desam in 1994 and again in 1999. This time, too, victory is going to be ours because the party is very strong in the state as it enjoys the people's full support," he averred.
He said that the Telugu Desam, with its 42 members in Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) was supporting the BJP-led NDA government at the center. "After the BJP, Telugu Desam is the largest party in the coalition. We have extended support to them because they are committed to secular agenda. I am sure that the NDA will retain power in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. I am equally sure that they will stick to the secular agenda. But if there is any deviation from secular agenda, we will not hesitate to sever ties with them," he said.
He said that his party's strength were its leaders and cadres. With a membership of eight million, the Telugu Desam has 100,000 organizational committees from the polling booth to the district level. He said that the party, founded by Telugu film actor N.T. Rama Rao in 1982, has enjoyed power since it first contested elections, except for a five-year break.
