Using NTR’s image as a symbolic messenger, the AI video traced the 43-year journey of the Telugu Desam Party, reflecting on its mission and future direction. The video also praised Chandrababu Naidu’s “leadership and vision in transforming Andhra Pradesh”.
Published May 28, 2025 | 8:05 PM ⚊ Updated May 28, 2025 | 9:53 PM
TDP-led NDA postpones its one year in office celebrations in Andhra Pradesh by one day to Friday, 13 June
Synopsis: On the second day of the TDP’s Mahanadu conclave in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was unanimously re-elected as the party’s national president, with growing momentum behind his son Nara Lokesh’s elevation as working president. Notably, an AI-generated video of party founder NT Rama Rao praised both Naidu’s leadership and grandson Lokesh.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was re-elected for a further two-year term as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president on Wednesday, 28 May, the second day of the party’s ongoing three-day Mahanadu annual conclave in Kadapa.
The conclave coincides with the birth anniversary of the party’s founder, NT Rama Rao.
Naidu was first elected as TDP president in 1995 and has held the position for the past 30 years. Following the formal announcement by the party’s election committee, Naidu assumed office for a fresh term.
With his re-election as national president, the stage is now set for the elevation of Information Technology (IT) Minister Nara Lokesh as the party’s working president.
There is growing demand within the party for Lokesh’s appointment to the position. Earlier in the day, senior leader and MLA Dhulipalla Narendra proposed Lokesh’s name at the ongoing Mahanadu conclave.
Narendra noted that a resolution had already been passed at the Mini-Mahanadu in Guntur, urging Lokesh’s appointment. He appealed to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to formalise the role in line with the party’s aspirations.
A broad consensus has emerged within the TDP on the necessity of Lokesh’s elevation. Several senior leaders, including Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, reiterated this demand during the conclave on Wednesday.
Lokesh secured his first Assembly seat in the 2024 elections from Mangalagiri. He has since been entrusted with the crucial portfolios of Information Technology and Education.
Lokesh earned recognition as a mass leader following his Yuva Galam padayatra, launched on 27 January 2023 from Kuppam in Chittoor district. This initiative came at a critical time when the TDP was attempting a political resurgence against what it described as “persecution” by the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime.
Lokesh’s resolutions shape party’s future direction
The party also discussed and adopted six resolutions presented by Lokesh, intended to serve as guiding principles for both the party and the government.
The six resolutions are as follows:
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the 103rd birth anniversary celebrations of the late NT Rama Rao at the Mahanadu venue.
Addressing party workers, Naidu described NTR as “the soul of Telugu self-respect” and a leader who continues to be fondly remembered by the people.
Notably, Naidu first came to power in 1995 following an internal party coup against NTR, his father-in-law, who was then serving his third term as chief minister. The elderly statesman passed away soon after.
Paying floral tributes at NTR’s statue, Naidu hailed him as a transformational figure who viewed power as a means to serve the public.
“NTR declared that rulers are not masters but servants. He redefined governance with the powerful ideal that ‘society is the temple, and the people are gods,’” Naidu said.
He recalled NTR’s journey from a humble government employee to a towering presence in both cinema and politics. “No other individual has ruled two domains with such supremacy. NTR was not just a movie star or political leader – he was a historic phenomenon,” he said.
Naidu described NTR as a symbol of assurance to the poor, a companion to farmers, a source of courage for the distressed, and a pillar of support for women and workers.
He said NTR entered politics not in search of power, but to repay the people who had made him a star. At the age of 60, he launched a political revolution that reshaped Indian democracy, founding the Telugu Desam Party in 1982 and leading it to a sweeping victory soon after.
Interestingly, the party screened an AI-generated video featuring a digital recreation of NTR’s voice and likeness during the birth anniversary celebrations. The video was met with applause from the audience.
Using NTR’s image as a symbolic messenger, the AI video traced the 43-year journey of the Telugu Desam Party, reflecting on its mission and future direction.
మహానాడు వేదికగా అన్న ఎన్టీఆర్ ఏఐ ప్రసంగం. టీడీపీ ఆవిర్భావం నుంచి నేటి వరకు వివిధ అంశాలు ప్రస్తావన.#NTRLivesOn#Mahanadu2025#TeluguDesamParty #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/RvPN1R9eah
— Telugu Desam Party (@JaiTDP) May 28, 2025
In the video, NTR’s likeness greeted Telugu people across the world – naming farmers, workers, artists, and the party cadre. It described the TDP not merely as a political entity, but as a movement born of the struggles of ordinary people.
“It has been exactly 43 years since the birth of Telugu Desam Party, a movement I proudly say was founded by me – not just as a political party, but as a dream born from the pain of the common people, from the sweat of labourers, and from the cries of the oppressed,” the AI-generated voice said.
The video also praised Chandrababu Naidu’s “leadership and vision in transforming Andhra Pradesh”, highlighting achievements such as the development of the Tank Bund, the creation of Cyberabad, and irrigation projects including Pattiseema.
“From building Tank Bund to creating Cyberabad, Chandrababu Naidu transformed the Telugu land with vision and innovation… When I once asked when Godavari would meet Krishna, we made it happen through Pattiseema,” the voice declared.
Nara Lokesh was described as “a young leader who is carrying forward his dream of empowering youth and standing by party workers.”
It continued: “Today, my grandson Lokesh is fulfilling that dream and working for the betterment of people… Watching him from the heavens, I feel proud and emotional.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
