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The Year 2024 Fourtune paked to NDA especially Captancy of Nara Chandrababu Naidu able to came to power with landslide victory in Andhrapradesh.
The year 2024 redefined the political history of Andhra Pradesh with the grand return of N Chandrababu Naidu as the chief minister, securing the largest-ever electoral margin. The year also recorded unprecedented floods in the Krishna river, which inundated several parts of Vijayawada, and high drama surrounding allegations of adulteration of the sacred Tirumala laddu with animal fat, a controversy that reverberated across the nation.
It was a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo, who endured one of the most turbulent phases of his life after spending 53 days in jail in connection with the ₹371-crore State Skill Development Corporation scam.
However, the 74-year-old Naidu mounted a strong comeback against the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by then chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, in the state assembly and general elections held in May. While the Jana Sena Party (JSP), headed by actor Pawan Kalyan, stood firmly behind him, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also joined hands with the TDP and JSP to form a formidable alliance.
The TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the assembly elections, securing 164 out of 175 seats. Of these, the TDP won 135 out of the 144 seats it contested, the JSP achieved a 100% strike rate by winning all the 21 seats it contested, and the BJP secured eight out of the 10 seats allocated to it as part of the alliance.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had entered the electoral battlefield with a supreme confident slogan of “Why Not 175?”, banking on his welfare-driven governance model, suffered a humiliating defeat. The YSRCP, which had won 151 assembly seats in 2019, was reduced to just 11 seats in 2024.
The elections concluded with a high voter turnout of 81.86%. While polling remained largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence occurred. However, post-election, clashes erupted in several districts such as Palnadu, Anantapur, and Tirupati.
Naidu, returning to power for the fourth time, began his tenure on a positive note by substantially increasing pensions, as promised before the elections. He also revoked the controversial Land Titling Act introduced by his predecessor, revived Anna Canteens, and fulfilled his promise of supplying three free gas cylinders annually to poor women.
However, financial constraints posed challenges to fulfilling other promises, such as free bus travel for women, payments of ₹20,000 to farmers under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, ₹15,000 to women under the Thalliki Vandanam scheme, ₹1,500 under the Adabidda Nidhi scheme, and an unemployment allowance of ₹3,000 for unemployed youth.
Unprecedented Floods in Vijayawada
The Krishna river witnessed its most devastating floods in five decades, wreaking havoc across Vijayawada and parts of Guntur. Record inflows at the Prakasam Barrage submerged several downstream areas, while heavy flooding in the Budameru river inundated northern colonies, claiming nearly 40 lives and affecting around 700,000 people.
Naidu acted swiftly, personally overseeing relief operations. He spent nearly 10 days at his makeshift secretariat in Vijayawada, travelling by boats, earthmovers, and tractors to deliver aid, earning widespread praise for his proactive approach.
Amaravati and Polavaram: Revival and progress
As the second-largest partner in the NDA at the national level, Naidu leveraged his influence to secure significant financial support from the Centre. The Amaravati capital city project, which was shelved by the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government, was revived with financial assistance from the World Bank, ADB, and other institutions.
Construction work on Amaravati resumed in full swing, with tenders floated for key projects and a three-year completion timeline set.
Similarly, the Polavaram irrigation project also received a financial boost from the Centre, with completion targeted by mid-2027. A team of international irrigation experts visited the project site and provided recommendations for expediting pending work.
Political controversies and scandals
The year was not without controversies. The most significant was Naidu’s explosive claim regarding the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala laddu under the previous YSRCP administration. The controversy escalated into a nationwide debate, with petitions filed in the Supreme Court demanding a thorough investigation. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the CBI director, was appointed to probe the allegations.
Another controversy stemmed from a dispute within Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family over property shares with his sister, YS Sharmila. Jagan filed a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal, accusing Sharmila and their mother, Vijayamma, of illegally transferring shares in Saraswati Power and Industries Pvt. Ltd. This sparked a bitter public feud, with accusations flying from both sides.
Additionally, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Gautam Adani had paid ₹1,750 crore ($200 million) in bribes to Jagan in 2021 to secure a power purchase agreement (PPA). While Naidu accused Jagan of tarnishing Andhra Pradesh’s image, Jagan defended himself, stating that the PPA was signed with the Solar Energy Corporation of India and was legitimate.
Though these allegations remain unproven, they have cast a shadow over Jagan’s political legacy. In response, Jagan has been attempting to regain public confidence through agitations against the Naidu government, highlighting unfulfilled election promises and rising electricity charges.
As the year draws to a close, Andhra Pradesh remains at a political crossroads, with Naidu facing significant challenges in governance and Jagan striving to stage a comeback
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