After securing a massive mandate in Assembly elections, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu is all set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 12 at Kesarapalli IT Park. The TDP, along with its alliance partners, BJP and Jana Sena, secured 164 out of the 175 assembly seats. The YSRCP managed to win 11 seats.
In an X post, his office said, "Swearing - In ceremony will be held @ 9.27 AM on 12th June, 2024 near Kesarapalli IT Park, Gannavaram, Krishna District".
Naidu is all set to script history as he will become the first Chief Minister of Andhra to secure a fourth term. Naidu has surpassed his father-in-law and TDP founder NT Rama Rao's record. Rao was three-time Chief Minister of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.
In the state's Lok Sabha polls, the TDP achieved a major victory, winning 16 seats and establishing itself as a key ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
In 1996, following the BJP's invitation to form the government, Naidu became the convenor of the United Front, which led the Centre from 1996 to 1998 with the external support of the Congress. This followed Atal Bihari Vajpayee's resignation after a 13-day tenure.
When the Congress withdrew its support from the United Front government led by Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in mid-April 1997, Naidu had played a critical role in selecting the next Prime Minister.
Now, 27 years later, the election results confirmed that at 74 years old, Naidu had returned to his influential position as a political strategist.
The TDP emerged as the second-largest party in the NDA, winning 16 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. This outcome indicated that while the BJP needed Naidu's support at the Centre he did not require their support in the state, reinforcing his status as a "kingmaker".