Mahanadu has adopted a resolution that Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of the country, be conferred on Telugu Desam Party founder and former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao.
The resolution was passed on the second day of the TDP’s annual convention, marking the birth anniversary of N.T. Rama Rao on Thursday.
After several senior leaders, including TDP national president N. Chadrababu Naidu, NTR’s film actor son and Hindupur MLA Balakrishna, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Gorantla Buchaiah Choudary, PR Mohan and others, paid rich tributes to NTR, Mahanadu adopted the resolution seeking Bharat Ratna for NTR in recognition of his multi-faceted personality and moves to redefine politics in united Andhra Pradesh.
Recounting their experiences with NTR, the speakers said that NTR was elected as the ‘Greatest Indian actor of all time’ in the CNN-IBN national poll. NTR’s charisma swayed the entire country. He was an embodiment of service. His donations during the Diviseema cyclone and the Rayalaseema famine were a few to mention. He was in public service whether in power or not.
‘Pro-poor bias’
Noting that NTR was the brain behind the food security programme (₹2 a kg rice scheme), Mr. Naidu credited the party founder with several pro-poor schemes such as subsidised power, doing away with the patel-patwari system and bringing in the mandal set-up, administrative reforms and initiating the Telugu Ganga project and fighting for AP’s rights on surplus waters of the Krishna, they said.
The speakers recalled that NTR, after endearing himself to the masses as an actor, did not confine his political role to the then combined AP, but made an impact on national politics.
Reservations to the Backward Classes (BCs) and property rights to women were some of his historical decisions, they said.
