Mangalagiri: TDP central office here celebrated the 30th anniversary of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s first swearing-in as Chief Minister. The celebration honoured Naidu’s three decades of contributions to the state’s development, with leaders cutting a cake to mark the occasion.

Varla Ramaiah, a TDP politburo member, addressed the gathering, calling the day a momentous occasion for party workers. He noted that on September 1, 1995, exactly 30 years ago, a 45-year-old Naidu took the oath as Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.

Ramaiah described Naidu’s decision to take charge amid difficult circumstances as a historic one that saved the party and protected the self-respect of the Telugu people, rather than a betrayal. He highlighted Naidu’s achievement of becoming Chief Minister four times, a rare feat in Indian politics. Ramaiah pointed to the world-class Shamshabad Airport, efforts to build the Amaravati capital, and various welfare schemes as evidence of Naidu’s dedication to development. He compared Naidu’s current efforts to eradicate poverty with the legacy of the late N T Rama Rao, who introduced the Rs 2-per-kg rice scheme.

Former minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao praised Naidu as a leader who brought global recognition to the Telugu community. He credited Naidu’s visionary decisions for the success of Telugu youth in the global IT sector.

Rao recalled Naidu’s pivotal role in creating world-class projects like Hi-Tech City and Genome Valley in Hyderabad, developing IT centres in Visakhapatnam, and implementing welfare programs like Anna canteens. He also highlighted Naidu’s innovative administrative style, including surprise inspections and taking governance directly to the people.

MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) hailed Naidu as a “warrior and architect of economic reforms.” He remarked that Naidu’s entry into the Chief Minister’s office 30 years ago changed the economic direction of the country by ushering in the computer age and an IT revolution. Chinni reminded the audience that Naidu, along with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was instrumental in conceptualising the Golden Quadrilateral highway project.

He added that the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model for road construction was a result of Naidu’s foresight. Chinni praised Naidu for accomplishing the challenging task of interlinking the Krishna and Godavari rivers, a project that has brought immense benefits to farmers. He stated that Naidu’s vision is always 20-30 years ahead of its time, as evidenced by his “Vision 2020” for Hyderabad.

Former MLC and TDP Central Office secretary Parchuri Ashok Babu stated that the people of Andhra Pradesh are fortunate to have a leader like Chandrababu Naidu. Babu also provided clarity on Naidu’s P4 (Public-Private-People-Partnership) model.

KDCC Bank chairman Nettam Sriraghuram reflected on Naidu’s three-decade-long journey, describing him as a rare leader who has risen from every fall to regain the trust of the people. He said that Naidu’s foresight is timeless, as shown by his role in transforming Hyderabad into an IT hub and bringing projects like Hi-Tec City and river interlinking to fruition.

AP Brahmana Corporation chairman Bucchi Ramprasad credited Naidu with the historic decision to establish the Brahmana Corporation in 2015, making Andhra Pradesh the first state to do so. He noted that this inspired nine other states to follow suit. Similarly, Naidu’s creation of the Brahmana Sadikara Committee within the TDP was a landmark move.

AP LEDCAP chairman Pilli Manikyarao echoed these sentiments, saying that Naidu’s governance has proven that sustainable development is a result of good governance, not just projects.

The celebration was attended by a host of former officials, party leaders, and coordinators, including former MLA Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy, State-level Corporation chairmen Nagul Meera, Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar, Pinipe Eswar, Gottumukkala Raghuram Raju, Dundi Rakesh, Gonugundla Koteswara Rao, and media coordinator Darapaneni Narendra Babu.