Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu completes 30 years of taking oath today -- on September 1, 1995, he was sworn in as the youngest Chief Minister of United Andhra Pradesh at the age of 45 years. It marks a personal milestone for me as well... because it is exactly 30 years and three weeks ago that I moved from being Assistant Editor at The Times of India, Delhi to start work as the State Correspondent for The Times Of India based at Hyderabad (there was no state edition of The Times Of India then).
So I can say I have had a ringside view, the opportunity to watch up close Mr Naidu's journey through all his four innings as Chief Minister, earning for himself a brand as an architect of reforms and visionary, who used technology and innovation to think ahead of the curve.
In the '90s, it was the 2k boom that the IT industry in India was seeing, a time when the maximum number of IT and software professionals going from India to the US was from Andhra Pradesh.
Chandrababu Naidu saw his first opportunity to brand himself as a tech-friendly, business-savvy Chief Minister, who would use IT as the driver of the economy and who liked the tag of the CEO of Andhra Pradesh, instead of just another Chief Minister. He dared to pitch Hyderabad as competition to Bengaluru in its IT-driven economic growth, even though the Garden City was miles ahead. But people took notice of the leader and the state.
Chandrababu Naidu famously hosted then US President Bill Clinton, impressing him with how a driving licence could be issued then and there, if he could provide the system with the credentials. He showcased himself as an industry friendly Chief Minister and the reason why Andhra Pradesh attracted huge investments with industry-friendly policies, bringing in big brand names.
This was the time India's first 24X7 news channel (by NDTV) was born and there was no social media. Mr Naidu knew how to make news and stay in the news. He launched the Janmabhoomi programme, for instance, urging citizens, including officers and politicians, to take pride in doing something for the motherland, even if it meant an IAS officer cleaning a public toilet, to show that no job is menial. That caught people's imagination.
This was also the era of surprise inspections by the Chief Minister and public rebuke in front of the media. CBN was in the news as the man who led from the front. Here was a workaholic Chief Minister who would not let officers and government staff be -- he demanded accountability. There were hours and hours of meetings by a leader who liked to micromanage. I'm not so sure it went down well with officers who may have wanted to work at their own pace, in peace. They had to be on their feet and seen to be delivering.
Even today, Chandrababu Naidu tells almost every public gathering with child-like enthusiasm how he built Hitech City and changed the face of Hyderabad, planned for the Genome Valley, the Outer Ring Road and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Undeniably, he gave branding and visibility to Hyderabad like no one else had done and has claimed the credit for it.
Mr Naidu also initiated much-needed power reforms. The politician in him, for instance, saw the huge potential in organising women into self-help groups or what are called DWCRA groups, and routing welfare schemes through them, as he saw how the women's vote could become a gamechanger in elections.
During this time, Mr Naidu grew in stature and gained respect and admiration from not only the people of the country but also his peers. His political profile grew during this period as the convenor of the United Front under Deve Gowda and IK Gujral. In 1999, with 29 MPs, the Telugu Desam became the biggest ally of the BJP in the NDA and yet did not join the government, preferring to give outside support.
I remember people from outside the state would refer to Mr Naidu as AP CM, with envy that they did not have a leader like him. There was even a Tamil film song that eulogised Chandrababu Naidu, regretting that "We don't have a Naidu to stand by us and support us".
In 2004, ten years of anti-incumbency sentiment, going big on power reforms and the perception that his focus was on Hyderabad, may have been Mr Naidu's undoing as the Opposition capitalised on agricultural distress in rural Andhra Pradesh, promising free power, for instance, to farmers, as the trump card to trounce Mr Naidu in the elections.
Mr Naidu's decisive comeback as Chief Minister in 2014, this time of a divided Andhra Pradesh, rode on his brand image as someone who can build and who can deliver. Andhra Pradesh was feeling lost, defeated, with Hyderabad taken away and having to start on a fresh plate.
Mr Naidu gave the bifurcated state confidence that they could rebuild and earn their place under the sun.
In 2015 though, there was trouble for Mr Naidu in the cash-for-vote case in Telangana, where it was alleged that it was at his behest that money had been paid to an MLC to vote a particular way. The buzz in Telangana was that KCR had ensured Mr Naidu stayed out of the state using this as arsenal.
Even otherwise, there was big work to be done in the newly born Andhra Pradesh. Mr Naidu had his hands full. He announced a dream capital at Amaravati that would be futuristic, competing with the best in the world.
But resources were a big challenge. Mr Naidu used innovative methods to raise money. Convincing farmers to pool in land for the new capital was seen as another goal scored. But quitting the NDA over Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh once again proved to be his undoing.
Between 2019-2024, in the Opposition space, with cases booked against him alleging corruption and being sent to jail, critics and sceptics had begun to wonder if Mr Naidu could ever make a political comeback. But he fought hard, made strategic political decisions, and emerged as Chief Minister once more with a historic mandate. Mr Naidu emerged like the phoenix from the ashes.
Chandrababu Naidu has now revived his plan for the development of Amaravati as capital. He is once again making news as a futuristic CM, announcing a Quantum computing valley, a drone city and what not. Mr Naidu once again speaks about using technology in governance, providing 700 public services through WhatsApp in the name of Mana Mitra WhatsApp governance platform.
If in his earlier years, Chandrababu Naidu presented Vision 2020 for Andhra Pradesh, now he talks of Swarnandhra 2047 to transform the state into a $2.4 trillion economy and a poverty-free state on the lines of Viksit Bharat 2047. Chandrababu Naidu is leveraging his political equation with the Centre to get funds and benefits for his state.
As a politician who is willing to evolve, for instance, Chandrababu Naidu did a 180-degree turn in his stance on family planning. If in the '90s, Andhra Pradesh topped in family planning operations and Chandrababu Naidu spoke about disincentivising those who had more than two children, now he talks about the demographic dividend and urges people to build bigger families.
Mr Naidu knows his challenge is to create jobs, bring industry, put the economy on a strong footing. So he is focussing big on education, skill development, building infrastructure and bringing in industry. Just last week, he spoke about a bullet train corridor linking Amaravati with Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru, creating a logistic hub that will cater to 5 crore people, world class roads even in the interiors, a port for every 50 km. So, infrastructure, innovation and technology as engines of growth for Andhra Pradesh. 75 and going strong.
Up to date on technology and futuristic vision. That's Chandrababu Naidu 4.0.
(Uma Sudhir is Executive Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
