‘TANA ante prajalu TATA cheppestaru’: Chandrababu

The historic comeback of the Telugu Desam Party in the 2024 election was almost entirely driven by Chandrababu Naidu. He stood firm even as MLAs were leaving the party between 2019 and 2024, during what was arguably the party’s darkest phase. So, he knows all too well that rebuilding the party between 2024 and 2029 is of paramount importance.

However, not all MLAs seem equally committed to this mission. That became evident when as many as 56 TDP MLAs skipped a crucial meeting called by Babu recently. Notably, nearly 15 of them had flown to the United States to participate in the TANA conference.

This upset Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and he didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration.

“You can’t stay disconnected from the people for four years and suddenly show up just before the election. You must stand with the public from start to finish. If you keep going to TANA and ATA events, people will say ‘TATA’ (goodbye) to you,” he reportedly told the absentee MLAs.

This sharp remark comes at a time when there were media reports that TANA itself is under fire due to alleged financial irregularities. The organization was recently allegedly named in a massive $3.6 million scam, which even led to the removal of its president.

Despite the controversy, TANA is moving forward with its annual event scheduled for July 3, 4, and 5. Several celebrities and apparently, a few TDP MLAs are expected to attend. However, the fact that the Chief Minister himself has openly discouraged participation raises eyebrows.

Usually, such events are popular among ruling MLAs looking to maintain good relations with NRIs. But with TANA’s image currently tarnished and financial mismanagement being exposed, it’s believed that Chandrababu was advised against encouraging participation and he clearly acted on it.

TDP has traditionally enjoyed strong support from the NRI community and has always maintained close ties. However, this time, Naidu himself showing anger on his MLAs who going to attend TATA is big worry. His jab, “Meeru TANA ante, Prajalu TATA antaru”, was not just a sarcastic punch but a wake-up call for NRI organisation and leaders, says analysts.