Telugu Desam Party (TDP), English Telugu Nation Party, regional political party in Andhra Pradesh state, southeastern India. It also at times had a strong presence in national politics in New Delhi.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), roughly translated as ‘Telugu Land and People’s Party’, is a regional political party, as approved by the Election Commission of India. Its mass base is primarily in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The Telugu Desam Party has a centre-left political position and operates on the political ideologies of Populism, Regionalism and Social Liberalism. 

The TDP was formed in March 1982 by Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (popularly known as NTR), a former star and director of Telugu-language movies in Andhra Pradesh.NTR built his Telugu Desam Party with the support of media baron Ramoji Rao, who owns Eenadu, the largest circulated newspaper in the state, and Congress dissident Kotla Bhaskara Rao, who later staged a coup against NTR in August 1984, with Indira Gandhi's help, and became chief minister for a while. Both stalwarts were members of NTR's Kamma community.

Telugu Desam party ( TDP ) was the first opposition party which brought the national non-congress political entities together on one platform to lay the foundations for the National coalition governments against the congress.NTR’s marriage to Lakshmi Parvathi (or Parvati) in 1993 and his attempts to groom her as his successor created dissension within the TDP, especially with Nara Chandrababu Naidu, his son-in-law. The party, nonetheless, won a large majority of assembly seats—216 out of 294 total—and NTR returned for another term as chief minister.For the upcoming general elections in 2014, the TDP is currently looking for political coalition with its one-time ally, the BJP. The Telugu Desam Party has kept silent on the bifurcation of the state, which has earned the party criticism from other political outfits in the state have protested against the creation of Telangana. 

His successor Sri Nara Chandrababu Naidu had led as per the aspirations and principles set forth by Dr. N T Rama Rao both nationally and within the state. As the Telugu Desam Party ( TDP ) President Sri Naidu was the force and the principal player in the National Front and the United Front governments besides the major force behind the successive BJP led NDA governments from 1996 to 2004.

The Election Symbol of the TDP is “Bicycle”. It is usually drawn on a yellow-coloured background. The colour yellow, used to depict the TDP, has immense symbolism, as it denotes what the party stands for. Yellow is the colour of brightness, of prosperity, happiness and wealth. The Election Symbol of the bicycle coupled with the yellow background is used to indicate that the TDP, by its simple measures and welfare policies, will bring happiness and prosperity to the Telugu-speaking people and all minority sections of the population across the state.

Address and Contact details

Official Website of TDP: http://www.telugudesam.org/tdpcms

Head-office address of TDP: Telugudesam Party State Office, NTR Trust Bhavanam, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034, Andhra Pradesh

Contact No.: Phone: +914030699999, FAX: +914023542108

Email: contact@telugudesam.org

Information Centre: 040-30269999