The leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), N. Chandrababu Naidu, has decided to assume office as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh following Narendra Modi's upcoming swearing-in for his third consecutive term as Prime Minister, slated for June 9.
Naidu intends to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to attend his swearing-in ceremony, which is being meticulously organized on a large scale, reminiscent of the grandeur witnessed in 2014 when he first took office as Chief Minister of the 'new' Andhra Pradesh post its division.
During a meeting with the recently elected TDP MPs on Thursday, Naidu hinted at the possibility of his oath-taking on June 12. He also conveyed his intention to invite PM Modi to grace the occasion.
Departing for New Delhi on Thursday evening, Naidu is scheduled to participate in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in the capital on Friday.
He is likely to stay back in Delhi to attend the Prime Minister's swearing-in ceremony, which is expected to take place on June 9.
Meanwhile, Naidu is likely to invite central ministers and key leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other constituents of the NDA for his swearing-in ceremony.
Notably, it is seen as a strategic move by Naidu to further strengthen his alliance with the NDA to invite PM Modi and others. He wants to convey the message that he is very keen on a long-term relationship with the ruling coalition.
Naidu's swearing-in ceremony will send out a strong message to the opposition, including the INDIA bloc headed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Now, any attempts by the opposition to woo Naidu to their camp may dwindle with Naidu expressing his intentions to strengthen relations with the NDA.
Immediately after the election results, Kharge's response was guarded, indicating a wait-and-watch approach. It spoke of the strategy of the INDIA bloc to take advantage of any dissidence within the NDA.
For the record, ever since the election results were announced, Naidu has been saying that he is part and parcel of the NDA and there is no question of assuming anything else.
Returning to power after a hiatus of five years, during which he confronted formidable challenges, Naidu is unwilling to take any chances by severing ties with the NDA, which he had rejoined just before the elections.
The 74-year-old leader is eager to forge a strong rapport with the NDA to address the financial woes plaguing the state.
In the hope of further taking advantage of support and cooperation from Mr. Modi and his team of ministers, he hopes to, again, use their help in this term to boost the state's economy, which still does not even have a capital a decade later.
For his fourth term as Chief Minister of the state, Naidu is expected to request a large amount of assistance from the Centre in order to overcome the financial crisis and implement all of the welfare promises made during the election campaign.
Accusing the YSRCP administration of causing substantial setbacks to Andhra Pradesh during its five-year tenure, Naidu is determined to revitalize the state's economy.
The state's agenda includes mobilizing resources to honor various commitments made by the TDP and its ally Jana Sena, with the BJP also endorsing their manifesto.
These commitments encompass a range of initiatives such as free bus travel for women, allocation of three free gas cylinders annually per household, monthly financial aid of Rs 1,500 for women aged 18-59, creation of 20 lakh jobs within five years, monthly unemployment benefits of Rs 3,000, annual financial support of Rs 15,000 to mothers of school-going children, and investment assistance of Rs 20,000 for every farmer.
In addition to seeking key ministerial portfolios and advocating for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker for the TDP, Naidu is anticipated to reiterate his demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh, as stipulated in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014.
When Naidu assumed office as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 18, 2014, several Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders, along with Chief Ministers from various states, graced the occasion.
The TDP is poised to replicate the grandeur of that event by inviting leaders from various NDA constituents.
In the presence of PM Modi and his cabinet, Naidu may seek the Centre's assistance in developing Amaravati as the state capital, a visionary project initiated in 2015.
Despite the groundbreaking ceremony conducted by PM Modi on October 22, 2015, the project encountered setbacks following the YSRCP's assumption of power in 2019, which proposed a multi-capital plan.
Jagan Mohan Reddy's proposal to designate Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, Kurnool as the judicial capital, and Amaravati as the legislative capital faced legal hurdles due to opposition from farmers who had relinquished their land for the project.
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