naidu-4-0-marks-start-of-collaborative-governance

As the clock struck 11:35 am on June 12, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the Chandrababu 4.0, came into being. A moment that spells hope and development for the state. In his four decades of public life, Naidu has shown his acumen as an able administrator and a man with vision and ideas that translate into practical betterment for all. Andhra Pradesh sees this transition from a YSRCP-led state to one governed by the TDP as an opportunity to complete the unfulfilled dreams and aspirations pending after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state.

 

Taking further the era of coalitions, the Telugu Desam Party-led Andhra Government has actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) and BJP as part of his team. Pawan has been inducted as deputy chief minister. At the same time, Naidu's junior, Nara Lokesh, is part of the cabinet sworn in in Vijayawada in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior colleagues from the Union Cabinet.

 

The long paused hug between the prime minister and Naidu that lasted over 30 seconds conveys that the state is now on a path of development that was paused for the past five years when Jaganmohan Reddy's YSRCP won with an overwhelming majority. Andhra Pradesh's demand for a special status for the state and funds for the new state capital and national projects like Polavaram now appear to be sanctioned by the centre. These were the demands over which the TDP had broken away from NDA. In the just concluded elections, Naidu's TDP has defeated the YSRCP and returned to power with a sweeping majority.

 

The presence of NDA allies and cine stars like Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, and Allu Arjun for the swearing-in ceremony indicates that the next five years are expected to usher in an era of development for the state. Naidu, known as an able administrator and nicknamed CEO chief minister, has several achievements, big and small, for which he is remembered. He developed Hyderabad city into an information technology hub by building the necessary infrastructure there.

 

Small things like an overbridge in Hyderabad from Mehdipatnam to Shamshabad ensure traffic-free movement to the airport. His vision to develop Amaravati as a capital and a world-class city was halted due to a change in government. All the pending projects are now expected to be revived. An investment-friendly chief minister, Naidu brought several projects, such as the Kia factory in Anantapur and Andhra Pradesh. The bonhomie between TDP and BJP is expected to help the state build infrastructure and complete pending projects.

 

Naidu is a man of strong character. This is reinforced by several incidents in his life. In 2021, a YSRCP leader made a derogatory remark in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly against his wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari that made Naidu cry in the assembly and he vowed to avenge the incident. Three years later, Naidu decimated YSRCP and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh's fourth term.

 

Incidentally, Purandeshwari, the elder sister of Bhuvaneshwari, is the Andhra Pradesh BJP state president. They are both daughters of legendary NT Rama Rao. Purandeshwari one of the three BJP candidates who have won Lok Sabha from Rajahmundry.

 

Naidu's political journey started in 1975 during his student days at Sri Venkateswara University, where he was actively involved in student unions while pursuing Master's in economics. He was part of the Indian Youth Congress where he became president of IYC Pulicherla chapter.

 

In 1978, at age 28 he won the Chandragiri assembly to become a MLA. By 30, he was a minister in Andhra Pradesh. In 1981 Naidu married NTR's daughter Bhuvaneshwari and its then that his political fortunes changed. In 1982 NTR founded TDP. Initially Naidu was anti-TDP but by 1986 joined TDP to become its general secretary by 1986. In 1995 he led a political coup against his father-in-law NTR, who was grooming his second wife, Lakshmi Parvathi, as his political successor.

 

With the backing of the majority of TDP legislators, Naidu successfully ousted NTR and took over as Chief Minister on September 1, 1995. He immediately set about transforming Hyderabad into a hub for the software industry.

 

Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Naidu allied with the BJP and Jana Sena Party, winning 102 out of 175 seats in the newly formed state and becoming its first Chief Minister. He was defeated by YSRCP in 2019. In September 2023 he was arrested in connection with an alleged multicrore scam related to the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a 53-day imprisonment in Rajahmundry jail.

 

Arresting Naidu worked in his favour and due to this sympathy wave, YSRCP was ousted in the 2024 elections. The TDP contested the polls in alliance with Kalyan and BJP and returned to power with an overwhelming majority in the Assembly. The TDP has 135 seats, Jana Sena 21, and BJP 8, making a total of 164 seats in a house of 175.