The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Mahanadu, held in Kadapa, was overshadowed by controversies, excessive flattery of party leaders, and a lack of focus on public issues. The three-day event was marked by misuse of power, accidents, and unfulfilled electoral promises, with leaders focusing on praising TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh while criticizing former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Excessive flattery, lack of substance
The Mahanadu was dominated by leaders showering praise on Chandrababu and Lokesh, elevating them with exaggerated admiration while directing vitriolic attacks against YS Jagan and the YSRCP. With little to show for the TDP’s year in power, leaders boasted about implementing the “Super Six” promises and introduced another set of similar pledges. Chandrababu was unanimously re-elected as TDP’s national president, while Lokesh, already holding significant control in the party and government, was proposed as working president.
Public issues ignored
The event sidelined pressing public issues, with the agenda centered on glorifying the leadership. Leaders competed to outdo each other in praising Chandrababu and Lokesh while launching baseless attacks on Jagan, seemingly to curry favor with the party high command. Despite numerous public grievances in the state, the Mahanadu failed to address them.
Misuse of Government Machinery
The TDP faced criticism for misusing government resources to organize the Mahanadu. Government employees were deployed for preparations, leading to accidents. In one incident, two Village Revenue Officers (VROs), Sheeli Dorababu and Subbanna from Atluru Mandal, were seriously injured when a large cutout collapsed on them while they were traveling on a motorcycle.
Activist injured in overzealous Act
A TDP worker, Kiran, was severely injured due to a short circuit while tying party flags and banners to a YSR statue in Chintakommadinne Mandal. He sustained serious injuries to his hands and legs and is receiving treatment at RIMS hospital.
Telugu Mahila leader’s suicide attempt
On the second day, a disturbing incident unfolded when Chippagiri Meenakshi, former president of Telugu Mahila in Kadapa, attempted suicide by climbing an NTR Skill cell tower. Alleging harassment by Kadapa MLA and government whip Madhavi, Meenakshi protested against the mistreatment of dedicated party workers. She climbed the tower at 11:50 AM and remained there for over two and a half hours, refusing to come down despite pleas from police, media, and her family. She relented only after assurances that her demands were accepted by Lokesh, and was safely brought down with police assistance before being hospitalized due to fainting.
Public inconvenience
The diversion of RTC buses to transport attendees to the Mahanadu caused significant inconvenience to the public in the Kadapa district. Commuters faced long delays at bus stands, struggling to find transport.
AI Video sparks controversy
An AI-generated video featuring NTR’s voice and image was used to praise Chandrababu and Lokesh, claiming achievements like the Pattiseema project and Polavaram’s progress. The video glorified Chandrababu’s vision for Amaravati and Lokesh’s leadership. However, netizens criticized the TDP for exploiting NTR’s legacy, accusing Chandrababu of betraying NTR in the past while now using his image for political gain.
Netizens slam Narsireddy’s speech
TDP leader Narsireddy’s speech, filled with irrelevant attacks on former Chief Ministers KCR and Jagan, drew widespread criticism on social media. Netizens condemned his remarks, warning of consequences for his inappropriate comments.
Unfulfilled promises and financial mismanagement
Despite promising to continue and enhance YSRCP’s welfare schemes, Chandrababu’s government has failed to implement any new initiatives and has canceled existing ones. The state has incurred Rs. 1.37 lakh crore in debt in its first year, setting a record without delivering a single welfare scheme. The government is accused of resorting to diversionary tactics, such as the “Red Book” controversy, to mask governance failures.
Exploitation of resources
The TDP coalition is accused of plundering natural resources like sand, mines, and liquor, undermining state revenue. The cancellation of YSRCP’s revolutionary reforms in education, healthcare, and agriculture, including fee reimbursement, Arogyasri, and farmer support schemes, has left students, farmers, women, and unemployed youth feeling betrayed. The abolition of the volunteer system and ration distribution at doorsteps has rendered thousands jobless.
Dismantling transparent systems
The YSRCP’s judicial preview and reverse tendering systems for transparency were scrapped by the TDP coalition, which has allegedly favored cronies in tender allocations and reintroduced mobilization advances to collect commissions from contractors.
Stalled Healthcare and Education initiatives
The YSRCP initiated 17 new medical colleges, with five operational by 2023–24, adding 750 MBBS seats. The TDP coalition is accused of privatizing these institutions out of vendetta. Promises like 20 lakh jobs, Rs. 3,000 monthly unemployment benefits, and welfare schemes such as Talliki Vandanam (Rs. 15,000 annually for schoolchildren’s mothers), Annadata Sukhibhava (Rs. 20,000 annually for farmers), and Aadabidda Nidhi (Rs. 18,000 annually for women) remain unfulfilled. Free RTC bus travel for women and increased volunteer honorariums were also promised, but not implemented.
Land titling controversy
The YSRCP’s Land Titling Act, aimed at resolving land disputes through geo-tagging and surveys, was misrepresented by Chandrababu as a scheme to seize land. Despite its innovative approach, the TDP repealed the act, with leaders falsely claiming its cancellation during the Mahanadu.
Conclusion
The TDP’s Mahanadu was criticized for prioritizing sycophancy and propaganda over addressing public issues, with accidents, misuse of resources, and unfulfilled promises highlighting the event’s failures. The coalition’s governance, marked by debt, resource exploitation, and dismantled welfare schemes, has drawn widespread condemnation.
