VIJAYAWADA: TDP national president and outgoing Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been elected as the Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDLP) leader to lead the party in the State Assembly. The party's MLAs, MPs and MLCs met on Wednesday at Naidu's residence at Undavalli and elected Naidu as their leader unanimously.
Though there was a divided opinion among the party rank and file on whether Naidu should lead the small group of MLAs who have won or hand over the responsibilities to some other leader, the elected MLAs unanimously elected Naidu as their leader. Naidu was also given the responsibility to choose the party's deputy floor leader and whip.
Addressing the party MLAs, MPs and MLCs, Naidu said that though the TDP government made sincere efforts to develop the state during the past five years overcoming financial hurdles, people's verdict did not come in their favour. "The aspirations of people are different. Let us wait for sometime and see what the new government will deliver. We will raise our voice only keen observation on the performance of the government," he said.
Naidu said that Assembly is the best platform to raise voice and get the issues of public resolved and asked the TDP MLAs to make use of the platform unlike YSRC, which as an Opposition party boycotted the Assembly.
Naidu unlikely to attend Jagan's swearing-in
Meanwhile, Naidu is unlikely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of CM-designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to be held at Vijayawada on Thursday.
Jagan Mohan Reddy extended a telephonic invitation to Naidu to attend the swearing-in. However, the party decided that Naidu should not attend the event but send a delegation of leaders to Jagan's residence on Thursday morning to hand over a congratulatory message.
"Jagan should have personally gone to Naidu's residence and invited him,'' TDP senior MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said. Jagan, during his visit to Hyderabad after winning the elections, had personally invited Telangana State CM K Chandrasekhar Rao to attend the swearing-in ceremony. KCR and DMK chief MK Stalin are attending the swearing-in ceremony.