Telugu Desam Party
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP; lit. 'Party of the Telugu Land')[14] is an Indian Telugu regionalist political party with influence in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[15] It was founded by the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao (N.T.R.) on 29 March 1982[16] and has focused on supporting Telugu speakers. The party has won a five-time majority in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and has emerged as the most successful political outfit in the state's history. It is currently the ruling party in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[17][18]
Telugu Desam Party
TDP
29 March 1982
N. T. R. Bhavan, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India
- National Front
(1989–1996)[9] - United Front
(1996–1998)[10] - National Democratic Alliance
(1998–2004; 2014–2018; 2024–present) - Third Front
(2009)[11][12] - Praja Kutami
(2018, Telangana)[13]
- 135 / 175(Andhra Pradesh)
- 0 / 119(Telangana)
- 8 / 58(Andhra Pradesh)
- 0 / 40(Telangana)
From 1 September 1995, the TDP was led by N. T. Rama Rao's son-in-law and the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandra Babu Naidu as national president of the party. The headquarters of the party is called N. T. R. Bhavan, which is located at Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh.
Ideology and symbolism
The Telugu Desam Party follows a pro-Telugu ideology. It was founded as an alternative to the Congress hegemony, by emphasizing Telugu regional pride and serving as the party for farmers, backward castes and middle-class people. Since the 1990s, it has followed an economically liberal policy that has been seen as pro-business and pro-development.[19]
The TDP uses yellow as the background colour for its flag, with a hut, wheel and plough symbol in the foreground. The party's electoral symbol is bicycle.
Health insurance scheme
Since 2014, every active member has been eligible for a life insurance policy of ₹2 lakh to be paid to their family in cases of death or permanent total disability, such as the loss of two limbs of eyes, due to accidents, with additional payouts of ₹5,000 per child (up to two) for educational costs. Active members are also reimbursed for up to ₹50,000 to cover hospital treatment from such accidents.[20]
Electoral perfromance
Lok Sabha electoral performance
The Telugu Desam Party has had a significant presence in the Lok Sabha elections since its formation in 1982. In its first election in 1984, the party made a debut by winning 30 out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh.[44] Over the years, TDP's performance in the Lok Sabha elections has fluctuated. In the 1989 elections, the party's influence slightly waned but it remained a key player in the state's politics.[45][46]
N. T. Rama Rao served as the chairperson of the National Front, a coalition of non-Congress parties in the late 1980s.[47] The TDP saw a resurgence in the 1996 and 1999 elections, forming alliances with national parties. N. Chandrababu Naidu played a crucial role as the convenor of the United Front, a coalition of non-BJP and non-Congress parties in the mid-1990s.[48][49][50]
During the late 1990s, TDP leader G. M. C. Balayogi served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1998 to 2002.[51] The party played a crucial role in supporting the Janata Dal coalition government and was instrumental in the formation of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. The party's alliance with the BJP was pivotal in securing the necessary majority for the NDA.[52][53][54]
The TDP's fortunes declined in the 2004 and 2009 elections, but it improved it's seat count in 2014, winning 16 seats in alliance as part of the NDA.[55] However, in the 2019 elections, TDP faced a major setback, winning only 3 seats amidst strong competition from other parties in the state. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the Lok Sabha seats were divided between the newly formed state of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, leaving behind 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 seats in Telangana. In the recent 2024 election, the party, part of the NDA, managed to win 16 seats, playing a key role in the formation of the Third Modi ministry.[56]
