Amravati: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu is on the verge of becoming the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time. As per party sources, he is likely to take oath on June 9, after the TDP-led alliance secured a landslide victory with a lead in 158 out of 175 Assembly constituencies.
The 74-year-old Naidu had previously served as the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004 and was also the first chief minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh following bifurcation in 2014. However, his party suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2019 elections. But this time, Naidu has bounced back, riding on the anti-establishment wave and his alliance with Jana Sena Party (JSP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The alliance appeared to have played a game changer, with TDP securing a clear majority on its own with a lead in 131 segments. Naidu himself is leading in the Kuppam constituency, which he has been representing since 1989, while his son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh is ahead in Mangalagiri.
The tripartite alliance is also leading in 16 out of 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. This marks a huge comeback for the TDP, which could only win 23 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats in the previous elections.
