Hyderabad: N Chandrababu Naidu, the national president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth term on Wednesday, June 12.
Accompanying him, Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan and Naidu’s son, Nara Lokesh, took their oaths as ministers in the Naidu administration.
The swearing-in ceremony, held near Gannavaram Airport in Kesarapalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada, was graced by the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, former Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, and prominent personalities such as Rajnikanth and K Chiranjeevi.
Governor S Abdul Nazeer administered the oath of office to Naidu and his colleagues.
During the emotional moment of taking office, Naidu embraced Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the midst of political leaders and celebrities gathered at the event, which drew a large audience.
In 2021, Naidu had walked out of the Assembly following alleged insults directed at his wife by some YSR Congress Party MLAs, vowing to return only after being sworn in as Chief Minister.
After their swearing-in, Pawan Kalyan of Jana Sena respectfully approached his elder brother, megastar Chiranjeevi, and sought his blessings by touching his feet.
Nara Lokesh, TDP General Secretary and Naidu’s son, followed suit by taking oath as a minister and seeking blessings from his father, Prime Minister Modi, and the Governor.
A total of 24 ministers from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) took their oaths at the ceremony held at Kesarapalli IT Park near Gannavaram Airport.
Among those sworn in were K Atchannaidu (TDP), Nadendla Manohar (Janasena), P Narayana (TDP), Kollu Ravindra (TDP), Nimmala Rama Naidu (TDP), and Satya Kumar Yadav (BJP).
The Jana Sena Party secured three ministerial positions, while BJP secured one, reflecting their representation in the newly formed cabinet.
With the Andhra Pradesh assembly’s strength at 175, the cabinet can accommodate up to 26 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
Earlier, in separate meetings on Tuesday, the Telugu Desam Legislature Party and NDA partners unanimously elected Naidu as their leader.
The NDA alliance, comprising TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP, clinched a commanding victory, securing 164 out of the total 175 Assembly constituencies, with TDP winning 135 seats, Jana Sena securing 21, and BJP capturing 8 seats. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) won 11 seats.
