HYDERABAD: Chief minister-designate of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday rang up TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and congratulated him on becoming the chief minister of Telangana State. Naidu himself revealed he had invited KCR for his swearing-in scheduled for June 8 at Mangalagiri.
Though the TDP chief appeared to extend a hand of friendship to KCR, he claimed he had not been properly invited to KCR’s swearing-in ceremony. “Had Rao invited me, I would have attended it. But the TRS chief did not send a proper invitation even through his party leaders,” Naidu said.
In an informal chat with reporters at the NTR Bhavan here, he said he had conveyed his best wishes to the first chief minister of Telangana. “I hope my invitation to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be the first step towards both of us working together for the development of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on all fronts,” he said and also expressed the hope that Telangana will develop under KCR’s leadership.
Earlier in the day, flanked by Telangana TDP unit chief L Ramana and other leaders, Naidu unfurled the national flag at the NTR Bhavan, kicking off Telangana Formation Day celebrations by the party. He followed it up by hoisting the party flag and raising ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans. He also paid floral tributes to the T-martyrs.
Naidu told his party leaders from Telangana that though he would be the CM of AP, he would not ignore Telangana. “As a partner in the NDA government as well as being the opposition party in Telangana, the TDP will make efforts for the development of the T State,” he said. “TDP will stand by the people of Telangana and cooperate with the new government. I will also urge Prime Minister Modi to extend generous help to the development of T State,” he said.