While making foreign trips is common among ministers, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu is also on a much-publicised foreign trip. He is on a fortnight-long trip to the United States and the United Kingdom with the purpose of “wooing” NRIs and making them contribute to the NTR Memorial Trust. He would also persuade them to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Organised by the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), Naidu has planned 15 fundraiser meetings in the US and one in the UK. Between July 5 and 7, the former Chief Minister will attend the 16th TANA Conference in Washington DC. Other than Naidu, popular filmstars like Balakrishna (whose daughter just got engaged to Naidu’s son) and Mahesh Babu will be present on the occasion. According to TANA, more than $100,000 has been raised just for the event.

But other than seeking funds, Naidu is also looking for prospectives to join the TDP. According to party sources, he has picked up the “Janmabhumi Programme”, started by NT Rama Rao, the legendary Chief Minister of the state, and asked the NRIs to contribute to the development of their motherland. Naidu has reiterated that during this trip he does not want to collect money for the party.

The NTR Trust, of which Naidu is the Managing Trustee, is more than a decade old. According to the trust, it is “fully committed to the vision of the late N T Rama Rao” and works in the fields of education, women and child healthcare, eyecare, rural upliftment and relief operations and runs blood banks and organises blood donation camps. The party also plans to set up water treatment plants to provide potable water to people in the rural areas and is also running a school at Gandipet near Hyderabad.

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