Naidu, a visionary par excellence

Tirupati: The name Nara Chandrababu Naidu is synonymous with leadership and political acumen, not just in India but globally. Over his four-decade-long career, Naidu has served as chief minister for four times, amassing more than 14 years’ experience in the role.

Born in a humble farmer’s family of Kharjura Naidu and Ammannamma in Naravaripalle of Chandragiri mandal, in the present-day Tirupati district, the 74-year-old Naidu’s leadership qualities were evident early on. During his college days at SV Arts College, he emerged as a student leader and continued his activism at SV University while pursuing his post-graduation.

With a Master’s degree in Economics, Naidu entered the political arena in 1978, winning as an MLA from Chandragiri and soon becoming the cinematography minister in the state Cabinet. Around this time, he married Bhuvaneswari, the daughter of the legendary former chief minister N T Rama Rao. Initially, Naidu did not join his father-in-law’s TDP and contested as a Congress candidate in the 1983 elections, only to face defeat.

However, Naidu’s political journey took a significant turn when he joined the TDP and became its general secretary. Shifting his base from Chandragiri to the more remote Kuppam constituency, he won as MLA for the second time in 1989. Since then, Naidu’s political trajectory has been upward, securing consecutive victories from Kuppam for eight times and rising to the Chief Minister’s office.

In his first two terms as chief minister, Naidu earned a reputation as an economic reformer and a strong advocate for information technology, spearheading the development of HITEC city in Hyderabad. His contributions to national politics further cemented his status as a significant figure in Indian politics.

Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu became the first chief minister of the residuary state. He initiated the development of Amaravati as the new state capital, acquiring 33,000 acres of land through land pooling which is first-of-its-kind. He faced a significant setback in the 2019 elections, where his party was relegated to the opposition. However, this time he forged an alliance with the Jana Sena Party and BJP. This coalition secured a resounding victory, winning 164 seats in the recent elections.

Now, Naidu faces the formidable challenge of completing the development of Amaravati and accelerating the Polavaram project, pivotal for the state’s progress.