Amaravati, Dec 14 : The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) claimed on Saturday that it has created a record of sorts in the party membership enrollment as the total number of members has reached 73 lakh.

Chairing a meeting on the membership drive at the party headquarters here, the TDP supremo and Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu congratulated the party leaders and the cadre on achieving the record.

The membership drive is being conducted under the leadership of TDP national general secretary and Minister for Education Nara Lokesh.

Heads of various wings in the party briefed Chandrababu Naidu on the membership enrollment and explained that of the total number of 73 lakh members enrolled themselves, 85,000 are from the neighbouring State of Telangana.

In the latest enrolment drive, 54 per cent of the members are new. They informed Chandrababu Naidu that Rajampet stood on top in the enrollment with 1.18 lakh members, and Nellore City stood in second place with 1.06 lakh.

A total of 1.04 lakh members were enrolled in Kuppam, the Assembly constituency represented by Chandrababu Naidu, 1.02 lakh in Palakollu and 90,000 in Mangalagiri, which is represented by Lokesh.

Expressing satisfaction over the successful enrollment, Chandrababu Naidu promised to build a strong army of party members and wanted the cadre to further work to ensure that in every four persons in the state, one should take the party membership.

The Chief Minister also assured the party leaders and cadre that besides extending welfare programmes to them, programmes to empower them both politically and financially will be implemented more effectively.

He further stressed the need for also taking up programmes like skill development, taking the government welfare schemes closer to the cadre and leaders besides providing them better opportunities to sustain them financially. He also promised steps to increase their per capita income.

Besides giving priority on a merit basis to those who are striving hard for the development of the party, Chandrababu Naidu said that efforts also will be made at every stage in the party to sustain their families financially. He also reviewed the other wings of the party during the meeting.

The Chief Minister announced that all the pending bills for Neeru, Chettu and NREGA which have been kept pending during the previous YSRCP government due to political vendetta, will be cleared soon. Already part of the bills have been cleared and the remaining amount also will be paid to them soon, he said.

/IANS