 "image")
Who is N Chandrababu Naidu?
Nara Chandrababu Naidu is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (1995–2004 and 2014–19). He is the leader of Opposition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He is the National President of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and has also served as the convenor of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) during 1999 general elections.
Naida has been the longest-served CM of Andhra Pradesh.
Early life and education
N Chandrababu Naidu was born on April 20, 1950, in Naravaripalle, a small village in Andhra Pradesh. His father, N Kharjura Naidu was a farmer and his mother Ammanamma was a housewife.
Up to class five, Naidu attended a primary school in Seshapuram and later went on to study at Chandragiri government high school till class 10. He completed his B A degree in 1972 from Sri Venkateshwara Arts College, Tirupati. He did his master's degree in Economics from Sri Venkateswara University, followed by a PhD course on economics.
Career
N Chandrababu Naidu's political career started in the 1970s when he was a students' union leader in Sri Venkateswara University while pursuing his master's degree and later joined the Youth Congress.
During the 'Emergency' period in 1975, Naidu was a close supporter of Sanjay Gandhi. Later, he switched to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a regional party in Andhra Pradesh and quickly rose through the ranks. He was known for his sharp political acumen and became a close aide of TDP founder N T Rama Rao. He was first elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1978 and went on to serve as a minister in the state government. In 1995, Naidu became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the first time after a political coup that saw him defeat his own party's founder, N T Rama Rao.
In 2003, he was appointed as the Chairman of National Task Force on micro-irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Naidu's tenure as Chief Minister was marked by a focus on information technology and infrastructure development. He was re-elected as Chief Minister in 1999 and served until 2004.
In 2014, Naidu became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the third time after the state was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. His tenure as Chief Minister was marked by a focus on development and innovation. He launched several initiatives, including the "Smart Village, Smart Ward" program, which aimed to transform rural areas into smart villages with modern amenities. He also focused on the development of the state's infrastructure, including the construction of a new capital city, Amaravati.
Naidu suffered a major political setback in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections when his party TDP lost power to the YSR Congress Party led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.