TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is working to secure the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, for two important people who have greatly impacted his career and strengthened his party.
The first is TDP founder and Naidu’s father-in-law, the late N.T. Rama Rao, and the second is Eenadu Group chairman Ch. Ramoji Rao. Ramoji Rao has indirectly supported the TDP in gaining power and stood by Naidu during critical times.
Naidu has called on party MPs to also work towards securing these prestigious awards for N.T. Rama Rao and Ramoji Rao, promising the party’s full support in this endeavor.
At a recent Ramoji Rao memorial meet on the outskirts of Vijayawada, Naidu emphasized that it is the party cadre’s responsibility to ensure that Ramoji Rao receives the Bharat Ratna.
The Bharat Ratna and other Padma awards are customarily announced in August. This provides the TDP cadre with approximately one month to plan and strive toward this objective.
How successfully Naidu can persuade the Center on this issue is yet to be seen. Even though it is unusual for two states to receive Bharat Ratna awards, Naidu’s standing within the ruling NDA administration raises the possibility of this happening.
The success of Naidu and his MPs in this effort will become evident in the coming weeks.