Hyderabad,  Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asked the party cadres to work hard to restore past glory of the party in Telangana.

The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister was speaking after administering oath to Kasani GnaneshwarA as the new President of the TDP's Telangana unit.

He exuded confidence that TDP will regain past glory in both the Telugu states.

Naidu recalled that it was on Telangana's soil that TDP took birth in early 1980s. He said N.T. Rama Rao entered politics and floated the TDP for the self-respect and development of Telugu people, and the party created a record by coming to power in the shortest time after its formation.

He claimed that NTR redefined politics and it was the TDP which brought governance at the doorsteps of common man.

He stated that the Backward Classes (BCs) are the backbone of the TDP and the Presidents of both the Telugu states units belonging to the community is evidence enough.

Naidu stated that the primary goal of the TDP is welfare of the poor and to take society forward. The Rs 2 a kg rice scheme launched by the late NTR in the combined Andhra Pradesh, laid the foundation for food security across the country, he said.

The TDP always struggled for the uplift of the downtrodden sections of society but not to get positions, he said, adding that it was the TDP that created wealth and distributed it among the poor.

The TDP provided reservations for the BCs and women in local bodies thus making them partners in the development, he said. In fact, it is the TDP that laid the foundation for various drinking water and irrigation projects in Telangana which was earlier reeling under acute water problems, he added.

Foreseeing the future of the youth in the IT sector, it is the TDP that established hundreds of engineering colleges in the Telugu states and also developed the IT sector in Cyberabad and the Hitech City in Hyderabad, he stated. Naidu said that the seed that he laid in the IT sector has now grown in a big tree.

Hyderabad city has been transformed into a IT and knowledge hub and biotechnology too progressed well only during the TDP regime, he maintained. Hyderabad could grow to the number one position in the country in the IT sector only because of the foundation laid by the TDP, he claimed.

The TDP can take the credit of getting the Outer Ring Road and the Metro Rail to Hyderabad and the whole city has witnessed complete growth only because of the steps taken by the party, he added. He, however, admitted that the successive Chief Ministers have continued the steps taken by the TDP and thus the city has progressed so fast.

Those who made fun of the Vision-2020 then can witness the growth of Cyberabad now, he said and assured the party cadre in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh that he will stand by them.

Naidu appealed to the party leaders who are now keeping a low profile due to certain reasons to be active again. He also requested the people of both the Telugu states to support the TDP and strengthen the party further in both the states.

The TDP had almost been wiped out in Telangana after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 with many party leaders switching loyalties to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other parties.

It currently has no representation in the Telangana Assembly.