Year in Review: Political Shifts in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati, Dec 30 (NationPress) The year 2024 was a transformative period in Andhra Pradesh politics, characterized by a decisive public mandate favoring the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition.

During the first half of the year, a fierce battle ensued as the YSR Congress Party fought vigorously to maintain its hold on power. However, the latter half saw a dramatic turnaround as the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP coalition emerged victorious.

Key events of the year included unprecedented floods in Vijayawada, the revival of capital projects in Amaravati, controversies surrounding the sacred Tirumala laddu, and efforts to attract investments.

The notable return of veteran politician Nara Chandrababu Naidu as Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan stepping in as Deputy Chief Minister after proving his political capabilities were pivotal moments in the state's political landscape.

At a public ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the emotional 74-year-old Naidu took his oath of office, marking a significant moment in his political journey.

Having fought a do-or-die battle for his political career, Naidu's comeback was remarkable as the anti-incumbency sentiment helped the three-party alliance to decisively defeat the YSRCP.

In his 45-year political career, Naidu rarely exhibited emotion, but this moment was particularly defining for him after enduring humiliation in the Assembly and facing jail time due to corruption allegations.

Devastated by the disgrace he suffered in the Assembly in November 2021, he publicly cried and vowed to return only after reclaiming the Chief Minister position.

However, his challenges intensified in September 2023 when he was arrested for alleged irregularities in the Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation during his previous term as Chief Minister (2014-2019).

After spending 52 days in Rajahmundry Jail, he secured bail on October 31.

During his incarceration, Pawan Kalyan declared his alliance with the TDP to confront the YSRCP.

As elections approached, the BJP also joined their ranks. Jagan Mohan Reddy faced familial opposition as his sister Y.S. Sharmila assumed leadership of the state Congress party.

Sharmila, alongside her cousin Y.S. Sunitha Reddy, further complicated Jagan's position by accusing him of complicity in the murder of his uncle and former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy five years prior.

While Sharmila was unable to revive the Congress's political fortunes, which again resulted in no seats, the NDA dashed YSRCP's hopes of repeating its 2019 success when it won 151 of the 175 Assembly seats and 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.

The YSRCP’s Assembly representation plummeted to just 11 seats, and it managed to retain only four Lok Sabha seats.

The TDP achieved a remarkable victory by securing 135 Assembly seats, while the Jana Sena won all 21 Assembly seats it contested, and the BJP captured eight seats.

With 16 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP also positioned itself as a crucial player at the national level, supporting the BJP, which could not achieve a majority independently.

Naidu recognized the necessity of federal support to stabilize the state’s finances, fulfill his campaign promises, and advance projects like Amaravati and the long-overdue Polavaram project, which led him to collaborate with the BJP.

His efforts appear to be bearing fruit, with the Union Budget 2024-25 presented in July addressing many of his requests. The Centre has pledged to arrange Rs. 15,000 crore through multilateral development agencies for the current financial year.

Naidu has revitalized capital works that had stalled since 2019 due to the YSRCP government's three capitals policy.

Since taking office, he has approved infrastructural projects worth Rs. 47,972 crore in the capital region, with a commitment to complete them in three years.

Blaming the YSRCP for neglecting the Polavaram project, deemed crucial for the state, Naidu has shifted his focus back to this major irrigation initiative.

The coalition government has set an ambitious target to complete Polavaram by October 2026.

As part of his election promises, Naidu signed five initiatives upon taking charge, including increasing social security pensions, organizing a major District Selection Committee for teacher recruitment, abolishing the Land Titling Act, revitalizing Anna Canteens, and conducting the country's first skill census.

On November 1, Naidu launched a program providing three free cooking gas cylinders to Below Poverty Line families to fulfill a commitment made in the 'Super Six' during elections.

Facing criticism from the Opposition for delays in implementing the 'Super Six', the government recently formed a committee of ministers to devise a plan for free bus travel for women.

Demonstrating his pro-business and tech-savvy reputation, Naidu aggressively sought investments in the state by offering various industry incentives.

Naidu claimed this month that the state attracted Rs. 4 lakh crore in investments, which is expected to create over four lakh jobs.

Highlighting his government’s achievements over the past six months, he noted that pensions are being distributed to over 64 lakh beneficiaries at an annual cost of Rs. 33,000 crore, while 40 lakh cooking gas cylinders have been distributed to low-income households under the Deepam-2 program.

Amaravati hosted the national drone summit, unveiling a drone policy aimed at establishing at least 100 drone manufacturing units and attracting Rs. 1,000 crore in investments in this sector over the next five years.

This initiative seeks to position Andhra Pradesh as a leading global hub for drone technology.

In October, the government announced six policy frameworks designed to transform the state into an industrial powerhouse by attracting investments across various sectors.

These policies were focused on industrial development, MSME and entrepreneur growth, food processing, electronics, private parks, and integrated clean energy.

This is viewed as a substantial step toward delivering on the commitment to create 20 lakh jobs within five years.

The industrial policy has set an ambitious target of attracting Rs. 30 lakh crore in the manufacturing sector over the next five years, aiming to operationalize investments worth Rs. 5 lakh crore during this period.

The policy aims for Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 83,000 crore and the creation of five lakh jobs in the manufacturing sector.

Additionally, the government plans to develop over 175 sector and cluster-focused industrial parks, with a target to double exports to Rs. 33,200 crore.

The MSME and Entrepreneur Development Policy aims to attract Rs. 50,000 crore in the manufacturing sector with a target of establishing 22 lakh units across manufacturing and services.

The policy aims to create five lakh jobs in the manufacturing sector.

The NPTC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) has entered a joint venture with the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) to develop renewable energy projects worth Rs. 2 lakh crore in the state.

This joint venture is expected to create employment for 1,06,250 individuals, generating an estimated financial benefit of Rs. 20,620 crore over the next 25 years.

In September, the new government faced a significant obstacle when severe rains inundated Vijayawada and surrounding areas.

The breach of the Budameru Rivulet led to the most devastating floods in the city in half a century, resulting in 46 fatalities and impacting over 10 lakh people.

Leading relief operations, Naidu spent 10 days in the most affected areas of Vijayawada.

The controversy surrounding the adulteration of the sacred Tirumala laddu also caused significant unrest in the state. This began when Naidu alleged that ghee mixed with animal fat was used in the preparation of the sacred offerings during the YSR Congress tenure.

This accusation sparked a fierce exchange between the ruling coalition and the YSRCP, with Jagan Mohan Reddy rebutting Naidu's claims and accusing him of spreading falsehoods that hurt devotees' sentiments.

Naidu had to cancel a planned visit to the Tirumala temple due to threats from TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP leaders who demanded Jagan sign an undertaking to adhere to temple rules for non-Hindus before entering.

In a related court case, the Supreme Court remarked that Chandrababu Naidu should have 'kept the gods away from politics' before making public statements based on uncertain facts about the laddu's preparation.

The controversy also saw Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan positioning himself as a protector of Sanatana Dharma through his assertive approach and an 11-day 'Praschit Deeksha', culminating in a visit to the Tirumala temple.