Chandrababu Naidu likely to take oath as Andhra Pradesh CM on June 9

Amaravati, June 4: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to take oath as the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 9, party sources said.

With the TDP-led alliance heading for a landslide victory with a clear lead in 158 out of 175 Assembly constituencies, Naidu is all set to take over once again reins of power in Andhra Pradesh.

The 74-year-old will be taking oath as the chief minister for the fourth time. He had served as the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004.

The TDP chief also became the first chief minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh following bifurcation in 2014.

Naidu, whose party suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the YSR Congress Party in 2019, has bounced back five years later, riding the anti-establishment wave.

His alliance with the Jana Sena Party (JSP) of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to have played the game changer.

With a clear lead in 131 segments, TDP has secured a huge majority on its own. Naidu himself was leading the Kuppam constituency, which he has been representing since 1989.

Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh was also ahead in the Mangalagiri constituency. Lokesh had suffered defeat from the same segment in previous elections.

The Naidu-led party was also leading in 16 out of 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. The tripartite alliance was ahead on 21 seats.

In 2019, TDP could win just 23 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats.