It was exactly a year ago that Telugu Desam Party-led coalition headed by N Chandrababu Naidu came to power recording a landslide victory in the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
If one were to take a quick review of Naidu’s governance in his fourth term as chief minister, one can only come to the conclusion that there is a lot of hype than any real achievement.
All that one could see was half-baked promises, massive corruption everywhere and height of revenge politics.
Of course, unlike his predecessor Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who focused solely on implementing the Navaratnalu welfare schemes while neglecting other developmental programs, Naidu has his own priorities.
He seems to believe that shaping Amaravati and completing the Polavaram project — at least to a basic level — will earn him political mileage.
One year on, Naidu’s government is grappling with the twin challenges of reviving a debt-ridden economy and fulfilling his ambition of constructing the capital city and completing Polavaram.
Though Naidu could implement some of the welfare schemes like enhancing pension amount, reviving the popular Anna Canteens, scrapping the controversial Land Titling Act, and providing three free gas cylinders per year to low-income women, he could not implement the more expensive welfare schemes—such as free bus travel for women, unemployment allowance of â¹3,000, and cash transfers to farmers and women under various flagship programs due to fiscal constraints.
It is only last week that Naidu promised to roll them out in phases: Annadata Sukhibhava from this Kharif season, Thalliki Vandanam from the coming academic year, and free bus travel from August 15.
Fortunately for Naidu, the pre-election alliance with the BJP appears to have yielded dividends. With TDP now the second-largest constituent in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Centre has extended generous financial assistance.
The Amaravati project received a boost through a Rs 15,000 crore loan sanctioned by the World Bank and ADB, while additional loans worth Rs 11,000 crore were secured from HUDCO and other institutions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi relaunched Amaravati’s development during a visit on May 2.
Simultaneously, work on the Polavaram project has been expedited, with a completion target set for December 2027.
Naidu also managed to secure a Rs 11,000 crore financial package for the Vizag Steel Plant, approvals for a BPCL refinery, and industrial corridors at Orvakal — highlighting his continued clout with the Union government.
Despite these achievements, the financial health of the state remains precarious.
A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report revealed that the Naidu government resorted to borrowings — both budgetary and off-budget — amounting to Rs 1.37 lakh crore over the past year.
If welfare delays are one concern, the perception of "revenge politics" has emerged as another flashpoint in Naidu's first year.
The state police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and Special Investigation Team (SIT) have launched multiple probes into alleged scams during the YSRCP regime — ranging from land encroachments and illegal mining to liquor scams and irregularities in port investments.
Several high-profile YSRCP leaders, including former ministers and MPs, have been arrested or summoned for questioning.
Former MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, ex-Bapatla MP Nandigam Suresh, and others have faced criminal charges.
Even film personalities like Ram Gopal Varma and Posani Krishna Murali have come under fire for alleged derogatory remarks against ruling party leaders on social media.
Naidu’s critics accuse him of using state agencies to settle political scores — not sparing even civil servants.
Senior IPS officers like P.S.R. Anjaneyulu, Kranti Rana Tata, and Vishal Gunni were suspended over alleged misconduct, and several others have been benched without fresh postings.
Despite these tensions, Naidu has managed coalition dynamics deftly. Key posts were allocated to alliance partners — Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena Party was made Deputy Chief Minister, while the BJP's Satya Kumar was appointed Health Minister. Both parties have so far worked harmoniously within the coalition framework.
Naidu is also seen grooming his son Nara Lokesh for a larger political role. At the Mahanadu, several party leaders pitched for Lokesh to be named TDP working president or even Deputy Chief Minister.
Interestingly, Pawan Kalyan, despite his party’s 100% strike rate in the Assembly elections, remains relatively low-profile.
For Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the defeat has led to desertions and disarray. Several senior leaders, including trusted aide V Vijay Sai Reddy and four Rajya Sabha MPs, have quit. Others have gone silent, fearing political vendetta.
Still, Jagan remains combative. At a recent party meeting, he vowed to come back to power after four years and rule the state for the next 30 years.