Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party' (TDP) on Friday announced its transformation as a national political party and unanimously elected N. Chandrababu Naidu as its first national president.
Naidu was elected unopposed to the post of president of the national committee on the last day of the three-day 'Mahanadu' or annual conclave of the party at Gandipet on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
As no other leader filed a nomination for the post, the election committee announced Naidu's unanimous election.
TDP leaders had filed 30 sets of nominations on behalf of Naidu, who is also the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
With this, the 34-year-old regional party began the formalities to get the recognition as a national party.
Naidu has been heading the party since he led a revolt against then party president and chief minister N.T. Rama Rao in 1995. He was elected nine times as the party president.
TDP's transformation as a national party was announced in the political resolution.
Moving the resolution, senior leader and Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu said TDP, which has presence in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, will expand to states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar.
"At the next Mahanadu, we will have delegates from all these states," Ramakrishnudu told thousands of delegates from Andhra and Telangana.
Stating that there are no legal hurdles in TDP becoming a national party, he said the minimum requirement is that it should have presence in four states.
He also assured the party cadre that there will be no threat the party's election symbol - the 'cycle'.
The conclave already amended party constitution to facilitate the transformation. The amendment provided for a central committee and state presidents.
Ramakrishnudu said as a recognised national party, the TDP would be able to play its national role more effectively.
He said despite being a regional party, the TDP since its inception had been playing a key role in the national politics as it was part of almost all non-Congress central governments.
He said the TDP as a partner in BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government will continue to fight for justice to both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The TDP leader said the party would continue to seek special status to Andhra Pradesh and fulfilment of other assurances given at the time of bifurcation of the state.
