“Our Focus Is Heavily On Infrastructure”: TDP MP Krishna Prasad

Ahead of the portfolio allocation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s newly formed government, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP from Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla constituency stated on Monday that the Chandrababu-led party is aiming for infrastructure-related ministries. On Sunday evening, two TDP members, Ram Mohan Naidu and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, were sworn into PM Modi’s 71-member Council of Ministers.

The allocation of portfolios for the newly sworn-in ministers is expected to be finalized soon, likely after a Cabinet meeting later today. Speaking to ANI, TDP MP Krishna Prasad emphasized the importance of infrastructure for Andhra Pradesh, a state that emerged after the 2014 bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with Hyderabad remaining with Telangana.

Prasad highlighted key projects such as the Polavaram Irrigation Project, the development of Amravati as a metropolis, and the construction of ports along the state’s thousand-kilometre coastline. He stressed that infrastructure development is crucial for the state’s progress over the next five years. Praising the government’s formation and the NDA’s alignment, Prasad predicted that the country’s economic growth will accelerate, aiming to move from the fifth-largest economy to the third position within five years.

“Our vision, objectives, and functioning methods align well. Our focus is heavily on infrastructure, which drives the economy and provides solutions to employment problems,” Prasad said.

The Telugu Desam Party secured 16 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, becoming the largest partner of the BJP-led NDA alliance, which won 292 seats to form the government.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the Oaths of Office and Secrecy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 71 Members of the Council of Ministers at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan last evening. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by leaders from India’s neighboring countries among other dignitaries.

PM Modi led the BJP-led NDA to a third successive victory in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The BJP won an absolute majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, securing 282 and 303 seats respectively. In 2024, PM Modi leads an NDA coalition with 292 seats in Parliament and has emphasized making India a developed nation by 2047.