Following the withdrawal of the Telugu Desam Party from the National Democratic Alliance on the pretext of denying adequate assistance to the state, TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sought to play with the emotions of the people and turn them against the Centre.
As part of the strategy, Naidu kicked up the self-respect sentiment among the people and the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
He called upon the people, particularly the Telugu Non-Resident Indians, to come forward to raise funds and also lend whatever they could to the state government for the construction of a world class capital city at Amaravati.
“Even if the Centre does not give assistance to the state to build the capital, we will build the world class capital in Amaravati. We will raise bonds to realise our dream. We shall pay higher interest rate than the banks,” Naidu said.
While the NRIs are yet to respond, his party supporters in Amaravati have come forward to give “loans” to the state government for the construction of capital.
On Thursday, TDP MLC Ramu Surya Rao came forward to donate Rs 1 crore loan to the AP government. He said he had mobilised the money from his school friends and villagers. He said he had announced the same in the legislative council.
Similarly, sarpanch of Mandadam village of Tulluru mandal Muppavarapu Padmavathi also came forward to lend Rs 10 lakh to the government.
Another woman farmer Kommineni Adilakshmi also came forward to donate a similar amount to the capital.
Well, Naidu can go to any extent – beg or borrow, if not steal – to get publicity in the name of the capital construction!
