Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, 29 April urged Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and cadres to strengthen the party at every polling booth level and secure a higher vote count than the 2024 elections in the next general polls. Naidu issued the directive while addressing party leaders at the TDP headquarters in Mangalagiri, Amaravati, after administering an oath to the newly constituted politburo, national, and state committees of the party.

Key Directives to the Cadre

Naidu set an unambiguous electoral benchmark. "In the next elections, we must secure a higher number of votes than we did in the 2024 elections," he said, adding that only then could it be said the party had truly fulfilled its responsibilities. He reminded the gathering that the next general elections are three years away and that voters had given the alliance a specific mandate to rebuild and transform Andhra Pradesh. He also urged leaders to highlight the government's development works in the upcoming local body elections, expressing confidence of a landslide victory in those polls.

Alliance Coordination and Internal Discipline

Naidu emphasised grassroots-level coordination with alliance partners Jana Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and advised TDP cadres to give no room for controversies. He stated that his relationship with Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan was excellent and that party workers must mirror the same spirit of cooperation at the ground level.

"There is no rift between the state and the Centre — nor should there ever be one," Naidu asserted, signalling a deliberate effort to project unity within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Andhra Pradesh. He added that discipline — from the grassroots worker all the way up to the party president — is the fundamental principle of the TDP, which he described as the only party with a strong, disciplined cadre base in its 44-year history.

New Committees and Nara Lokesh's Elevation

Naidu described the reconstitution of party committees as the most extensive organisational exercise in his four decades of political involvement. The new committees were formed after a rigorous process that honoured senior leaders, created space for newcomers, and rewarded hard work. Notably, a Mandal Party President and a Cluster In-Charge have been included in the Politburo — a structural move aimed at strengthening booth-level accountability.

Naidu praised his son Nara Lokesh, who took oath as the party's national working president, calling the post "not merely a post but a huge responsibility." He credited Lokesh with playing a pivotal role during TDP's years in opposition — from conducting training sessions to overseeing the welfare of party activists. Naidu also said that global companies choosing to invest in Andhra Pradesh is "largely due to Lokesh" and that Lokesh is working tirelessly to fulfil the government's promise of providing 20 lakh jobs.

Economic Recovery and Attack on YSRCP

On governance, Naidu claimed that with the assistance of the Central government, the state is steering an economy that was "on life support" back to recovery. He said stalled Central schemes have been revived, debts are being rescheduled, and the government's "Super Six" guarantees have been fulfilled, with welfare benefits being delivered to the people.

Naidu accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of spreading false propaganda and urged cadres to counter it by placing facts before the public. "A party driven by a killing mentality has no concern for public welfare and harbours an aversion to development," he said, alleging that political adversaries were actively attempting to obstruct the state's efforts to attract investment. Despite such obstruction, he claimed, investments are flowing into the state on a massive scale.

With local body elections imminent and the 2028 general elections already in strategic focus, Naidu's address signals that the TDP is shifting into early campaign mode — with booth-level organisational muscle-building at the centre of its electoral calculus.