Chandrababu Naidu Takes Oath as CM for Fourth Term
N Chandrababu Naidu, the chief of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), took the oath as the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for his fourth term this morning. The ceremony saw the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 24 other ministers, including Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Konidela Pawan Kalyan, and Naidu’s son, N Lokesh Naidu, who is also the TDP national general secretary.
Diverse Cabinet Sworn In
The new 25-member Cabinet includes:
- Three women ministers
- Twelve members from Other Categories
- Eight from the Backward Class
- Two from the Scheduled Caste
- One from the Scheduled Tribe
- One Muslim member
Ceremony Details
The swearing-in ceremony was held near Kesarapalli IT Park in Gannavaram, Krishna district. It was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other notable ministers, including Jagat Prakash Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, Chirag Paswan, and Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Election Victory and Alliance
Naidu was unanimously elected as the National Democratic Alliance’s Leader of the House during a meeting in Vijayawada, proposed by JSP chief K Pawan Kalyan. TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena leaders then met Governor S Abdul Nazeer to stake their claim to form the government.
Assembly Election Results
The TDP, in alliance with JSP and BJP, achieved a landslide victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, winning 164 out of 175 seats. The TDP secured 135 seats, JSP won 21, and BJP claimed 8 seats. Naidu announced that Amaravati would become the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Nara Lokesh’s Role
Nara Lokesh, the 41-year-old son of Chandrababu Naidu, is set to play a significant role in the state’s development over the next five years. A Stanford graduate and former World Bank official, Lokesh previously served as the minister for Information Technology from 2014 to 2019. Though he lost the Mangalagiri Assembly constituency in 2019, his recent ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra helped him secure a victory in the 2024 polls by a margin of over 90,000 votes.
Pawan Kalyan’s Impact
Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan played a crucial role in the success of the NDA’s alliance. Prime Minister Modi described him as “not just a breeze but a storm.” Kalyan helped the TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena alliance sweep 164 of 175 assembly seats and 21 of 25 Lok Sabha seats. Following the victory, he was sworn in as a minister and is expected to be the Deputy Chief Minister, as mentioned by Amit Shah in a congratulatory post on social media.
Pawan Kalyan’s Political Journey
Pawan Kalyan, the 55-year-old founder of Jana Sena, started his political career with his older brother Chiranjeevi, who founded the Praja Rajyam party in 2008. Kalyan’s strategic efforts have now positioned him as a significant leader in Andhra Pradesh politics.
