Chandrababu Naidu Steps Into Andhra Assembly After 31 Months, Keeps His Vow

Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu returned to the Andhra Pradesh assembly today 31 months after he left the house over 'insult to his family'. Mr Naidu had vowed in November 2021 that he would return only after becoming the Chief Minister, a feat he achieved after his party registered a landslide win in the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections.

The TDP won 135 seats in the 175-member assembly, while their allies Jana Sena and BJP won 21 and 8 seats respectively.

Visuals today showed the entire house standing up to give a warm welcome to Mr Naidu as he walked in as Chief Minister today. This is his fourth term as the Chief Minister of the state.

He had left the assembly on November 19, 2021, over the abusive comments the then-ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) members allegedly made about his wife. He fought back tears before walking out of the assembly with folded hands during a debate on women's empowerment.

“I will not attend this assembly hereafter. I will return to the House only after becoming the chief minister," Mr Naidu had said, adding that the assembly had become a 'Kaurava Sabha', a referring to the hall where Draupadi was humiliated in the Mahabharata.

In the 2019 state elections, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, secured a resounding victory, winning 151 out of 175 seats. The YSRCP swept key districts, including Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore, and Vizianagaram. Meanwhile, the incumbent TDP managed to secure only 23 seats.

Mr Naidu's choice to leave the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and align with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections turned out to be expensive. The TDP suffered losses in both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, resulting in Mr Naidu being politically sidelined.

A defeat in 2024 could have meant curtains for Mr Naidu's 50-year political career. However, the wily politician, as he is often described, has managed a more-than-convincing comeback, once again in an alliance with the BJP, even though he was cold-shouldered multiple times.

But he scored big wins, both in assembly and Lok Sabha polls, retaking the Chief Minister's chair and also emerging as a key player in the NDA alliance which won a record third term at the Centre.