As mercury in political barometer is shooting up in Telangana ahead of December 7 elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has targeted his counterpart K Chandrashekar Rao for accusing the Telugu Desam Party of not promoting development in Telangana when it was in power till 2004.

Speaking at Dharma Poratam public meeting here on Tuesday, the Chandrababu Naidu said he had never claimed that he had built Hyderabad as KCR is making out. But he would stand by his claim that he had built Cyberabad brick by brick. “I have brought Microsoft, ISB, International Airport and so on to Cyberabad. Can anyone deny this,” he asked and recalled the effort he had put in to make IT companies start their development centres in Cyberabad.

He said he did not understand why Chandrashekar Rao was picking on him for attack. He said he did not understand KCR’s logic that Telugu Desam Party was an alien to Telangana land and therefore it should not operate there. “Telugu Desam Party is for Telugu people. It would continue to remain in the forefront defending their interests not only in Telangana but also in other states where Telugu people live,” he said.

 Naidu was categorical that under KCR’s rule, Telangana would never develop and wanted the people of Vizianagaram to realise that only TDP-Congress alliance alone could bring all round development in the neighbouring state.

The TDP is committed to help Telugu people prosper everywhere. KCR should make an introspection as to where he would have been had NTR not founded Telugu Desam Party. “You would have been nowhere. You have grown as a leader in Telugu Desam Party. You should keep that in mind,” Naidu said.

The AP Chief Minister said that in undivided Andhra Pradesh, when the TDP was in power, it had focused on education in the Telangana region. “It was TDP regime which started an elementary school in each village and an upper primary school within five km from a village and high school in mandal headquarters,” he said.