Almost all major political parties in India have their own newspapers and TV news channels. But for the Telugu Desam party that was formed 40 years ago and was in power in Undivided Andhra Pradesh for 15 years and residuary Andhra Pradesh for 5 years, there is no newspaper or news channel of its own. It depends on other media organisations for coverage of party activities and programmes.

The TDP on Tuesday (today) finally launched its own newspaper. But it is not a regular newspaper but an ‘e-paper’. It has been named as “Chaitanya Ratham”.

TDP chief and former AP CM N.Chandrababu Naidu formally launched party’s e-paper on Monday at TDP office in Mangalagiri. The e-paper was sent to 30 lakh active members in TDP soon after its launch.

Naidu said though TDP was formed 40 years and was in power for 20 years, it never thought of setting up its own newspaper or news channel because TDP strongly felt that media should be ‘apolitical’. Taking a dig at Sakshi media owned by YSRCP chief and AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy, he said, “Some people have set up their own newspaper and media channels with the money earned through corruption and shady deals in politics and by misusing their power. They are now dictating all media organisations and warning them against writing anything against them. Those who are daring enough to expose their wrongdoings, they are branded on caste on political grounds.”

Naidu said TDP’s e-paper will expose all the wrongdoings of YSRCP government and create awareness among people how YSRCP’s flawed policies and decisions will impact their lives and livelihood.