JOIN USNaidu invites rivals KCR, Jagan for swearing-in
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao may have kept out big leaders and political opponents from his swearing-in, but his Andhra counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu is taking pains to ensure his swearing-in is an all-inclusive affair.
Naidu is inviting people from all walks of life, including KCR, who were reportedly reluctant to extend a similar courtesy to him.
Telugu Desam Party sources say that Naidu has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana chief minister KCR and chief ministers of ten other states – Goa, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Nagaland.
Besides inviting them over phone, Naidu has also sent out a personal handwritten invitation through senior party leaders to all of them. “The YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy is also invited for the oath-taking event scheduled for June 8 near Guntur,” party state vice president Khambhampati Rammohan Rao said.
Naidu invited KCR and also wished him for having become the first chief minister of the new state.
“As there will be challenges for the chief minister of a new state, I urge my party leaders not to trouble the new government at least for nine months. If the government fails to correct its path then we will have to step in as constructive opposition,” Naidu told Telangana TDP leaders at the party office.
It is said that Naidu has decided to take all possible help from the national leaders, as the residual Andhra Pradesh is staring at a staggering revenue deficit of Rs 15,691 crore.
Telangana, on the other hand, will begin the financial year of 2014-15 with a revenue surplus of Rs 3,555 crore.
In addition, there is very little idea of the cost burden on the state to build everything from scratch, including a new capital. The residual state is said to incur Rs 85,000 crore loans.
The chief minister-designate is also said to be mulling over the cost of implementing some of his poll promises. The bill for imposing a moratorium on farm loans and Dwacra (Self help) loans itself is pegged at Rs 70,000 crore.
The new government should also find ways to accommodate the nine-hour power supply to farmers.
“As such we are giving 7 hours of free supply of power and the CM designate is very particular about increasing that to two more hours,” a Transco official that attended a review meeting with Naidu said. Meanwhile, party sources in Vijayawada say that TDP president and CM-designate is working on finalizing the first list of his cabinet colleagues keeping in mind the sensitive and often frustrating caste equations of Seemandhra region.