Nara Chandrababu Naidu (born 20 April 1950) is one of the most recognised Indian politicians and the current Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He holds the record for being the longest-serving Chief Minister, having served for nine years, as well as the longest-serving Opposition Leader, with a tenure of nine years, in the history of United Andhra Pradesh. Naidu served as Chief Minister from 1995 to 2004 and as Opposition Leader from 2004 to 2014. He held the position of Chief Minister for the third time in the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2019.

He is the National President of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Naidu played a key role in the United Front as well as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments in the 1990s.

Naidu is known for championing liberalisation policies and market reforms as the Chief Minister during the 1990s. His contribution in transforming Andhra Pradesh in general, and Hyderabad in particular, into an information technology hub is widely acknowledged.

Early life and education 

Naidu was born on 20 April 1950 at Naravaripalle, Tirupati district in present-day Andhra Pradesh in an agricultural family to Nara Kharjura Naidu and his wife Amanamma. He has a younger brother Nara Ramamurthy Naidu and two younger sisters.

Since his village had no school, Naidu attended primary school in Seshapuram up to class five and the Chandragiri Government High School up to class 10. He completed his B.A. degree in 1972 from Sri Venkateswara Arts College, Tirupati. He did his master’s degree in economics from Sri Venkateswara University. In 1974, under the guidance of professor Dr. D. L. Narayana, he started work on his Ph.D. on the topic of Economic ideas of Professor N. G. Ranga, but did not complete his Ph.D.

Early Political Career

Deeply interested in a political career, Naidu secured a candidacy from the Congress party, under its 20% quota for the youth. He successfully fought his debut election and became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Chandragiri constituency in 1978 at the age of 28. As MLA, he served as a director of Andhra Pradesh Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. Later, he was appointed as the minister for cinematography in T. Anjaiah’s government. He became the youngest MLA at the age of 28 and the youngest minister at the age of 30 in Andhra Pradesh at that time. After becoming a minister, he could not continue with his PhD program.

As the cinematography minister, Naidu came in contact with N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), the reigning star of Telugu cinema at the time. Impressed by Naidu’s achievements at a young age, NTR offered a marriage proposal with his family.  In 1981, Chandrababu Naidu married Bhuvaneswari, NTR’s second daughter.

Telugu Desam Party

In 1982, N.T.Rama Rao formed the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and swept the Andhra Pradesh assembly polls held in 1983. Chandrababu Naidu, who was his son-in-law, remained in the Congress Party and was defeated by a TDP candidate in the elections from Chandragiri assembly constituency. Soon after, the family pressured him to join the Telugu Desam Party. Initially, Naidu involved himself in the party work, organising training camps and computerising membership records. He became a close confidante of the Chief Minister NTR, following his active role during the 1984 August crisis triggered by Nadendla Bhaskara Rao’s coup. Recognizing Naidu’s unwavering dedication to fortifying the party, NTR appointed him as the general secretary of the TDP in 1986.

Legislative Career (1989-1995)

In the 1989 assembly elections, Naidu changed his constituency from Chandragiri to Kuppam and won as a TDP candidate. The Congress Party, however, regained power in the election. As a result, Naidu, along with the TDP, sat in the opposition. NTR appointed him as a coordinator of the TDP, in which capacity he handled the party’s role of the main opposition in the assembly which won him recognition in the public. His role during this phase, both inside the Legislative Assembly and outside, was a critical factor for the subsequent success of the party at the hustings.

Naidu secured his second win from Kuppam constituency in the 1994 assembly elections, during which the TDP, under the leadership of N.T. Rama Rao, returned with a landslide victory. Now considered virtually as the number two in the party, Naidu became the Finance and Revenue Minister in N. T. Rama Rao’s ministry.

First Term as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (1995-1999)

On 1 September 1995, Naidu, at the age of 45, was sworn in as the Chief Minister following a successful revolt against the leadership of N.T. Rama Rao. The internal rebellion was triggered by the controversial role of Lakshmi Parvathi, NTR’s second wife, in the party and the government. Naidu was able to secure the support of the majority of the legislators and also NTR’s family members including N. Harikrishna and N. Balakrishna. Following N.T. Rama Rao’s sudden death, his second wife, Lakshmi Parvathi, and other family members unsuccessfully staked their claim to NTR’s political legacy. Naidu, already in the saddle, firmly entrenched himself as the leader of the TDP and as Chief Minister. He quickly proved himself to be a proactive Chief Minister and a modern politician through a slew of administrative reforms.

Second term as Chief Minister (1999–2004)

In the 1999 state legislature elections, Chandrababu Naidu, the leader of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), successfully led his party to victory, securing 180 out of 294 seats in the state assembly. Additionally, the TDP won 29 out of 42 seats in the Parliament elections, making it the second-largest party within the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition government. These elections marked a critical juncture for Naidu, as they served as a significant test of his legitimacy both as the Chief Minister of the state and as the President of the TDP. Furthermore, they were widely perceived as a referendum on his policies related to administrative and economic restructuring during his tenure as Chief Minister. Upon his return to power, the media hailed him as the first economic reformer to secure a strong electoral mandate. This electoral triumph represented the pinnacle of Naidu’s political career up to that point.

Achievements

Chandrababu Naidu became the most recognised Chief Minister in the country during this nine-and-half-year tenure in the government between 1995-2004. He was variously described as ‘Hitech Chief Minister’ and ‘CEO of Andhra Pradesh Inc’. His commitment to economic reforms at the state-level attracted wide attention. Impressed by his commitment to initiate bold reforms in governance the World Bank offered a loan of about Rs 5,000 crore to the state in 1997. Andhra Pradesh became the first state in India to get direct World Bank loan for economic restructuring. Naidu became a regular at World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland, where he interacted with the industry honchos across the world. New York Times referred to him as ‘one of the most promising local leaders not just in India but in the developing world’.

Naidu’s meetings with Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, in New Delhi, followed by Gates’ visit to Hyderabad in 2002, and the visit of US President Bill Clinton in 2000, played a significant role in enhancing Naidu’s reputation. He was credited with the development of modern infrastructure in Hyderabad, including the Hitec City, international airport and the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Assassination Attempt

On 1 October 2003, Naidu survived a landmine blast by the People’s War Group (PWG) near Alipiri tollgate in Tirupati. The Chief Minister’s convoy was attacked on his way to Tirumala to participate in the annual ritual of Brahmotsavam of Lord Venkateswara atop the seven hills. A total of 17 claymore mines were planted, of which 9 exploded. Naidu was the first Chief Minister in the country to have been targeted by the ultra-left-wing Naxalites for assassination. Naidu’s escape with minor injuries was considered miraculous given the severity of the blast. The PWG claimed it attacked him for pursuing “anti-people policies.”

Role in National Politics

Chandrababu Naidu played a key role in national politics. He was considered as king-maker in the non-Congress coalition politics in the mid-1990s. He was the convenor of the United Front, a coalition of 13 political parties, which formed the government at the Centre after the 1996 parliamentary elections. The coalition government was headed by H.D. Deve Gowda and later I.K. Gujral between 1996 and 1998. The United Front had its headquarters at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi.

Naidu’s role became crucial at the national level after the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. The TDP and the BJP had a pre-poll understanding in the state and it worked wonders. From 16, the TDP-BJP tally in the state rose to 36 MPs out of 42. The BJP emerged as the largest single party in the Lok Sabha but without the majority required to form the government. The TDP chief extended the support of 29 of his MPs to the National Democratic Front government headed by A.B.Vajpayee. However, his party did not join the government, extending only ‘issue-based support’. Naidu claimed that though Vajpayee offered eight cabinet berths to his party, the TDP stayed away from the union cabinet and offered external support.

Earlier, after the 1998 elections, Naidu accepted the post of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for his party in the short-lived Vajpayee government. TDP MP, G.M.C Balayogi, became the first Dalit Speaker in independent India and continued in the position after the ‘99 elections.

As the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh during this period, Naidu ensured maximum returns to the state from the TDP’s issue-based support to the NDA at that time.

Oppostion Leader (2004-2014)

Naidu, soon after the assassination attempt on him, dissolved the Assembly in November 2003, a clear 10 months ahead of its date of expiry. Elections to the state were held along with the parliamentary polls in April 2004. The TDP government faced anti-incumbency fuelled by allegations of high power tariffs and the absence of support to the agricultural sector. Besides, the newly formed Congress(I)-TRS alliance posed a major challenge to the TDP popularity in Telangana. Telugu Desam Party lost in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The Congress Party won 185 seats while the TDP ended up with 47 seats in the assembly.

In the process, Chandrababu Naidu lost the chance of becoming Chief Minister for the third consecutive term. The Congress government headed by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a contemporary of Naidu in politics, took over as Chief Minister. Naidu felt that the severe drought that gripped Andhra Pradesh the previous year as well as advancing the timing of the election were the major reasons for his ‘shock’ defeat.

In the 2009 assembly and parliamentary elections, Naidu faced another challenge as popular actor Chiranjeevi formed Praja Rajyam party and turned the election into a three-cornered contest. The TDP, which formed an alliance with TRS this time, lost again to the incumbent Congress Party. The TDP secured 28% votes and 92 seats in the assembly, whereas the Congress got 34% votes and 156 seats. Chiranjeevi who played spoilsport managed to attract 18% of the votes polled in his debut and won as many MLA seats. However, soon he merged his party with the Congress Party. Naidu stated that Chiranjeevi’s entry into the political arena for his party’s debacle.

Two terms in opposition was a tough challenge for a regional party, but Naidu managed to wade through the difficult times.

Chief Minister (2014-2019)

After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, elections were held in 2014 in the newly formed states.  Naidu formed an alliance again with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Jana Sena Party and returned to power in the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh state, winning 102 seats out of 175 seats. Naidu took oath as the first Chief Minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh at Mangalagiri on the grounds of Acharya Nagarjuna University near Guntur. His party joined the NDA government at the Centre and held two portfolios in the union cabinet. Two cabinet berths in the state were allocated to the BJP.

The Chief Minister, however, faced a host of challenges in the new state. The newly born state of Andhra Pradesh was left without a capital city and was deprived of a major economic hub. The state faced a host of issues including revenue deficit, skewed income and asset distribution, lack of research and higher education institutions. Naidu, drawing on his previous experience in the combined state, focussed on attracting investments and wealth creation. The state registered double digit growth in GDP for most part of his tenure and ranked number one in the World Bank’s Ease of Business rankings in the country. The state displayed competitive spirit in wooing investments and successfully attracted such mega companies as Kia Motors, Isuzu Motors, Pepsi, Mondelez, Foxconn.

Institutions of higher learning such as IIT, IIM, IISER and Central University were established in the state during this period. Naidu also took up the ambitious project of building a greenfield capital named Amaravati. In a short period of time, his government completed the Transit Government Complex, which housed the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council as well as the government secretariat and the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu also came up with several governance improvement initiatives such as establishing the Real Time Governance Centre (RTGC). 

Special Status Issue

In March 2018, the TDP withdrew its two ministers from PM Narendra Modi’s government due to the issue of Andhra special category status (SPS). The SCS had been promised by the previous Congress government on the floor of the Parliament during the passage of the AP Reorganisation Bill. Subsequently, Naidu announced the TDP’s departure from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) due to the perceived “injustice” inflicted upon Andhra Pradesh by the denial of SPS. Addressing the state assembly, Naidu stated that he had made numerous efforts, visited Delhi 29 times, and repeatedly sought a response without any success. Naidu criticised the central government on the issue by staging a hunger strike, known as ‘Dharma Porata Deeksha’ (a day-long protest for justice), in Delhi. This event marked a significant deterioration in the relationship between the TDP and the BJP.

2019 Elections

Naidu suffered defeat in the 2019 assembly and parliamentary elections in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP achieved a landslide victory by securing 151 seats in the assembly, while the TDP won 23 seats. In the Lok Sabha, the TDP won three seats, while the YSRCP secured the remaining 22 seats. Naidu’s son and the party’s national general secretary, N. Lokesh, also lost in the Mangalagiri MLA seat. It was a shocking defeat for the seasoned Naidu at the hands of the young Reddy.

Since coming to power, the Reddy government, with an unprecedented mandate, has been accused of engaging in politics of vengeance against the TDP and Naidu. Numerous police cases have been filed against the party and its national president. Despite the criminalisation of the administration under the new dispensation and its oppressive policies, the veteran politician has been waging an unrelenting war to rescue the state from spiralling into unmitigated misery.

Naidu is currently preparing for the upcoming elections scheduled in 2024. The TDP’s efforts at making the people realise the mistake of losing Naidu’s leadership for the state at this crucial juncture have born fruit in the last 4 years. The TDP under his leadership is all set to capture power in 2024 and steer the state on the path of development and prosperity.

Business Career

Heritage Foods Limited (HFL), a dairy enterprise, was incorporated by Naidu in 1992. The annual turnover of Heritage Foods stood at INR 26,429 million in the financial year 2021-22. In 1994, HFL went for public issue to raise resources. Currently, Bhuvaneswari Nara is the Vice-Chairperson & Managing Director while Nara Brahmani, Naidu’s daughter-in-law, is Executive Director. Heritage has hundreds of outlets throughout Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and a significant presence in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha, NCR-Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh which comprises a solid portion of Naidu’s current assets.[52] Heritage has also a renewable energy vertical which runs captive solar & wind power plants at 11 different locations.

Awards & Recognition

Naidu has won a number of awards, including IT Indian of the Millennium from India Today, Business Person of the Year by The Economic Times, South Asian of the Year from Time Asia, Golden Peacock Award for leadership in Public Service & Economic Transformation, and membership in the World Economic Forum’s Dream Cabinet. He was described as one of the “hidden seven” working wonders of the world by Profit (Oracle Corporation’s monthly magazine). Naidu was offered an honorary professorship by US business school, the Kellogg School of Management in 2000.

He was the head of 13-member Committee of Chief Ministers to promote digital payment systems and financial inclusion in India which was constituted by federal government in 2016. He chaired the National IT Panel under the National Democratic Alliance (India) (NDA) government during Vajpayee’s stewardship.  He was the Chairman of National Task Force on Micro-irrigation from Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture in 2003.