Chandrababu Naidu Set To Be Andhra Chief Minister, PM To Attend Oath Ceremony

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu will take oath as the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 9, sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event, sources said.

With the TDP-led alliance heading for a landslide victory with a clear lead in 158 out of 175 assembly constituencies, Mr Naidu is set to govern Andhra Pradesh again.

Mr Naidu, 74, will become Chief Minister for a fourth time. He had served as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004.

The TDP chief also became the first Chief Minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh following the bifurcation in 2014.

Mr Naidu, whose party suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the YSR Congress Party in 2019, has bounced back five years later, riding the anti-establishment wave. His alliance with the Jana Sena Party (JSP) of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and the BJP appeared to have played the game changer.

With a clear lead in 131 segments, the TDP has secured a huge majority on its own. Mr Naidu himself was leading the Kuppam constituency, which he has been representing since 1989.

Mr Naidu's son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh was also ahead in the Mangalagiri constituency. Mr Lokesh had suffered defeat in the same segment in previous elections.

The TDP was also leading in 16 out of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. The tripartite alliance was ahead on 21 seats. In 2019, the TDP could win just 23 assembly and three Lok Sabha seats.

With inputs from IANS