Mana Andhra Pradesh: Meet Telugu-origin NRIs who are running poll campaign for Chandrababu Naidu

Amaravati: Over 2,000 Telugu-origin NRIs are chipping in for TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to ensure the party's victory in the forthcoming polls in Andhra Pradesh. They kicked off a statewide campaign on Friday.

Ravi Kumar Vemuru, an entrepreneur who had worked as a gastroenterologist in the US said these NRIs have been divided into four groups with the mandate of covering three to four Assembly constituencies for seven days.

"Approximately we will be covering about 70 to 90 constituencies by the end of the week, then everyone is supposed to go back to their home constituency and just work for the last week there with friends and relatives," Vemuru told PTI.

Coming from 120 countries, the expatriate enthusiasts have decided to participate directly and indirectly in large numbers to support Naidu.

Besides campaigning, they took a pledge to create one lakh international jobs for the youth of the state if the opposition party, an NDA constituent, is returned to power in the forthcoming polls.

The NRIs feel that they have prospered by the progressive policies of the former CM in the 1990s while alleging that the southern state's reputation has taken a beating due to the policies of the current YSRCP government.

"They (NRIs) have decided to campaign in separate groups along with their respective MLA candidates. And as part of this, they took a pledge to create one lakh high quality international jobs for the youth in the state, for which they need a favourable government investing in world-class training facilities," said a press release from TDP.

Vemuru noted that NRI cells will be opened in every Assembly constituency as the TDP-NRI wing counts more than 4,000 entrepreneurs.

He highlighted that these NRIs themselves can create one lakh jobs, provided a nurturing government is in place in the southern state.

R Radhakrishna, an entrepreneur from Saudi Arabia emphasised that there is a need for TDP to return to power for youth to receive proper benefits.

He said the party's foreign wing is already running an empowerment centre at TDP's central office, which has enabled employment for 200 candidates in the US, the majority of them in the hospitality and teaching professions.

The TDP, BJP and Janasena have formed the NDA alliance in the southern state.

Elections for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on May 13 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.