Former chief minister and TDP supremo, N Chandrababu Naidu had finally received an invitation from the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He was invited to attend a meeting of Azadi Ka Amrut.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would chair a national level meeting on the celebrations of the 75 years of Independence from August 15, 2022 to August 15, 2023. The celebrations would be held across the country involving all state governments and union territories.

The Central government had decided to involve all political parties in the events to be held all through the year. The celebrations would include remembering and honouring freedom fighters and recapping the freedom movement.

This was the first invitation for Chandrababu Naidu from the BJP-led NDA government after he broke alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections. He was not invited for the Alluri Sitarama Raju 125th birth anniversary held at Bhimavaram on July 4.

Naidu was also not invited or involved in the just-concluded Presidential election, where the TDP chief had offered his party’s support to the NDA candidate, Droupadi Murmu. He had successfully lobbied with the Central leadership of the BJP in getting Murmu to the TDP meeting when she visited Andhra Pradesh on July 14.

Sources say that Chandrababu Naidu is working hard to convince the BJP leadership for alliance in the 2024 general elections. The BJP local leaders are in favour of the alliance as they expect a couple of seats in the alliance. Even the Jana Sena is in favour of an alliance between the TDP and the BJP.

However, the national leadership of the BJP is not ready to forge an alliance with Chandrababu Naidu. Leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are opposing tie-up with the TDP and called Chandrababu Naidu as the most undependable ally.

It is now to be seen whether Chandrababu Naidu would make use of this meeting to restore ties with the BJP or not.

TDP chief and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu started his tour in the seven mandals of Bhadrachalam area along Godavari river on Thursday. Chandrababu Naidu started his tour from Vijayawada and reached Velairupadu mandal in the morning.

The TDP rank and file received him with much fanfare all along the route starting from Gollapudi on the outskirts of Vijayawada. The TDP leaders and workers led by former minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao welcomed Chandrababu Naidu at Mylavaram in NTR district.

Naidu reached the area passing through Sathupalli and Aswaraopet in Telangana. Chandrababu Naidu met the flood victims of Velairpadu mandal where he interacted with the victims. Some of the flood victims told the TDP chief that the government had completely ignored them during the floods.

They also complained to the TDP chief that they were not given the flood relief support by the government. The local YSR Congress leaders were guiding the official in the distribution of the flood relief grocery, they said.

“The TDP families are not given the flood relief help. The YSR Congress leaders here are forcing the officials not to give any support for the TDP families,” the locals said. They requested Chandrababu Naidu to raise the issue and ensure that they also get the help from the government.

The TDP chief would stay in the night at Bhadrachalam and resume his tour of the flood hit mandals on Friday. He would tour Etapaka and Chinthuru mandals.

TDP chief and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday wrote a letter to AP chief secretary Dr Sameer Sharma asking him to provide relief work to the Godavari flood victims. Naidu had toured the flood-hit districts for two days last week and interacted with the victims.

Chandrababu Naidu, while explaining the situation in the inundated habitations along the river, wanted the government to be liberal in helping the victims, who have lost their belongings and food in the floods.

He found fault with the government for not taking precautionary measures to avoid inundation and loss of properties. He said that the Central Water Commission had raised an alarm about the floods much in advance.

He said even after the floods inundated the habitations, the government had failed to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims. He further said that the villages that were merged with the state after bifurcation were completely ignored.

The TDP chief said that the floods have caused havoc in over 50 mandals spread over six districts along the river. He wanted the chief secretary to send the officials to every village along the river and make a real assessment of the loss and damage.

He further said that paddy, banana, papaya, and vegetables were lost in several acres of lands all along the river and wanted the government to provide compensation to these victims.

Chandrababu Naidu proposed payment of Rs 10,000 to each of the inundated family, and Rs 50,000 to the damaged house. He wanted the government to pay Rs 25 lakh to the deceased families and Rs 45,000 to every animal that died in the floods.