N. Chandrababu Naidu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids N. Chandrababu Naidu
Naidu in 2024
13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 June 2024
Governor	Syed Abdul Nazeer
Deputy	Pawan Kalyan
Cabinet	Naidu IV
Preceded by	Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Additional ministries Incumbent Assumed office 12 June 2024 Ministry and Departments General Administration Law & Order Public Enterprises Other departments not allocated to any Minister Preceded by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
In office 8 June 2014 – 29 May 2019
Governor	E. S. L. Narasimhan
Cabinet	Naidu III
Deputy Chief Minister	Nimmakayala Chinarajappa K. E. Krishnamurthy
Preceded by	Kiran Kumar Reddy
Succeeded by	Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Additional ministries In office 8 June 2014 – 29 May 2019 Ministry and Departments Investment Infrastructure Happiness Index General Administration Other departments not allocated to any Minister Succeeded by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
In office 1 September 1995 – 13 May 2004
Governor	Krishan Kant Gopala Ramanujam C. Rangarajan Surjit Singh Barnala
Cabinet	Naidu I Naidu II
Preceded by	N. T. Rama Rao
Succeeded by	Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Additional ministries In office 1 September 1995 – 13 May 2004 Ministry and Departments Investment Infrastructure General Administration Other departments not allocated to any Minister Succeeded by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
13th Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office 13 June 2019 – 5 June 2024
Governor	E. S. L. Narasimhan Biswabhusan Harichandan S. Abdul Nazeer
Chief Minister	Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Preceded by	Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Succeeded by	Vacant
In office 2 June 2004 – 28 February 2014
Governor	Sushilkumar Shinde Rameshwar Thakur N. D. Tiwari E. S. L. Narasimhan
Chief Minister	Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy Konijeti Rosaiah N. Kiran Kumar Reddy
Preceded by	Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Succeeded by	Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
1st National President of Telugu Desam Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2015
National General Secretary	Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu Nara Lokesh
Preceded by	Position established
2nd President of Telugu Desam Party
In office 1 September 1995 – 29 May 2015
General Secretary	Alimineti Madhava Reddy (1995-2000) Tulla Devender Goud (2000-2008) Kadiyam Srihari (2008-2013) Ravula Chandra Sekar Reddy (2013-2015)
Preceded by	N. T. Rama Rao
Succeeded by	position abolished
Minister of Revenue, Relief, Rehabilitation, Finance, Planning, Small Savings and Lotteries, Government of Andhra Pradesh
In office 12 December 1994 – 1 September 1995
Governor	Krishan Kant
Chief Minister	N. T. Rama Rao
Succeeded by	Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Minister of Cinematography, Technical Education, Minor irrigation, Diary and Animal Husbandary, Government of Andhra Pradesh
In office 1980–1982
Governor	K. C. Abraham
Chief Minister	T. Anjaiah Bhavanam Venkatarami Reddy
Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 1989
Preceded by	N. Rangaswami Naidu
Constituency	Kuppam
In office 1978–1983
Preceded by	constituency established
Succeeded by	Medasani Venkatarma Naidu
Constituency	Chandragiri
Personal details
Born	Nara Chandra Babu Naidu (1950-04-20) 20 April 1950 (age 75) Naravaripalle, Madras State, India (present-day Andhra Pradesh)
Political party	Telugu Desam Party (since 1983)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1975–1983)
Spouse	Nara Bhuvaneswari ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	Nara Lokesh (son)
Relatives	See Nandamuri–Nara family
Residences	Undavalli, Vijayawada 1, Janpath, New Delhi
Alma mater	Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati (M.A.)
Positions Held 1975–1977: Local Youth President, INC 1978–83: Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Chandragiri constituency 1980–83: Cabinet Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1985–94: General Secretary of Telugu Desam Party since 1989: Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Kuppam constituency 1994–95: Finance and Revenue Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1999–2004: Convener of National Democratic Alliance 1995–2004: 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1995–2014: 2nd President of the Telugu Desam Party 2004–2014: 8th Leader of Opposition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly 2014–present: 1st National President of the Telugu Desam Party 2014–19: 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 2014–18: Convener Of National Democratic Alliance 2019–24: 8th Leader of Opposition of the Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Assembly 2024–tba: Convener of National Democratic Alliance 2024–present: 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

Nara Chandrababu Naidu (born 20 April 1950), often called CBN, is an Indian politician. He is currently the 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He has served as Chief Minister for the longest time in the history of the Telugu states. He is also the national president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

In 1978, he was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly with the Indian National Congress party. From 1980 to 1982, he worked as a minister in the state government. Later, he joined the TDP, a party started by his father-in-law N. T. Rama Rao. Naidu was a MLA for TDP from 1989 to 1995. In 1995, he became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

During his time as Chief Minister, Naidu was known for his ideas on economic growth. He supported using information technology to help the economy. His plans brought new ideas and investments, especially to Hyderabad. He helped create HITEC City, Genome Valley, and the Financial District there. He also started the Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) to improve travel in the city. He began big projects like the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road and planned the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. He also played a role in national politics. In 1996, he was a leader of the United Front. After the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, he supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In 2014, Naidu became Chief Minister again for the state of Andhra Pradesh after it was divided.

In the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, his party did not win many seats. In the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the TDP won by a large margin. Naidu became Chief Minister for the fourth time.

Early Life and Education

Naidu was born on 20 April 1950. He grew up in a farming family in Naravaripalle, Tirupati district, in what is now Andhra Pradesh. His parents were Nara Kharjura Naidu and Amanamma. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Naidu has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes white patches.

His village did not have a school. So, Naidu went to primary school in Seshapuram. He studied there until fifth grade. He then attended the Chandragiri Government High School until 10th grade. He earned his B.A. degree in 1972 from Sri Venkateswara Arts College, Tirupati. Later, he received his master's degree in economics from Sri Venkateswara University. In 1974, he started working on his Ph.D. about the economic ideas of Professor N. G. Ranga. However, he did not finish his Ph.D.

Political Journey

Starting in Politics

Naidu began his political journey as a student leader. This was while he was studying for his master's degree at Sri Venkateswara University. In 1975, he joined the Indian Youth Congress. He became the president of its local group in Pulicherla. After a period called "the emergency" in India in 1975, he supported Sanjay Gandhi.

With help from N. G. Ranga, Naidu became a candidate for the Congress party. He was elected as a MLA for the Chandragiri constituency in the 1978 assembly elections. He first worked as a director for a small industries group. Later, he became a minister in T. Anjaiah's government. From 1980 to 1983, Naidu held different roles. These included minister for films, technical education, and small irrigation. He was the youngest MLA at 28 and a minister at 30 in Andhra Pradesh at that time.

As the minister for films, Naidu met N. T. Rama Rao. Rao was a very famous film star. In September 1981, Naidu married Bhuvaneswari, who was Rao's second daughter.

Joining Telugu Desam Party

In 1982, N. T. Rama Rao started the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The TDP won many seats in the 1983 assembly elections. Chandrababu Naidu, who was Rao's son-in-law, stayed with the Congress Party at first. However, he lost the election in his Chandragiri assembly constituency to a TDP candidate. Soon after, he joined the Telugu Desam Party. Naidu started by helping with party work. He organized training camps and put membership records on computers. He played a key role during a government crisis in 1984. NTR made Naidu the general secretary of the TDP in 1986.

As an Opposition Leader

In the 1989 assembly election, Naidu ran from the Kuppam constituency for the TDP. He won by 5,000 votes. However, the Congress Party won the election and formed the government. So, Naidu was part of the opposition. Rama Rao made him a coordinator for the TDP. In this role, he managed the party's work as the main opposition in the assembly. This earned him much praise from his party and the public. His actions during this time helped the party succeed later.

Naidu won the 1994 elections from Kuppam constituency again. He became the Finance and Revenue Minister in N. T. Rama Rao's government.

First Term as Chief Minister (1995–1999)

On 1 September 1995, Naidu became the Chief Minister at age 45. This happened after a change in leadership within the party. The change was due to concerns about Lakshmi Parvathi, NTR's second wife. Naidu gained the support of most lawmakers. He then became the leader of the party.

Second Term as Chief Minister (1999–2004)

Naidu speaking with workers in a textile factory

In the 1999 state elections, Chandrababu Naidu led his party to victory. They won 180 out of 294 seats in the state assembly. The TDP also won 29 out of 42 seats in the Parliament elections. The TDP's success in the Lok Sabha made it the biggest ally of the BJP. It was also the fourth largest party in the Lok Sabha. These elections were important for Naidu. They showed his strong support as Chief Minister and as TDP President. When he returned to power, the media called him the first economic reformer to win such strong support.

Surviving an Attack

On 1 October 2003, Naidu survived a land mine explosion. This happened near the Alipiri tollgate in Tirupati. The attack was by the People's War Group (PWG). Naidu's group was on its way to Tirumala for a yearly event. A total of 17 mines were placed, and 9 of them exploded. Naidu was the first Chief Minister in India to be targeted by this group. He escaped with only minor injuries, which was seen as a miracle. The PWG said they attacked him because he was a "World Bank agent."

Role in National Politics

Chandrababu Naidu was very involved in national politics from 1996 to 2004. He focused on forming coalitions without the Congress party. After the 1996 parliamentary elections, he became the leader of the United Front. This was a group of 13 political parties that came to power. The government was led by H.D. Deve Gowda and later I.K. Gujral from 1996 to 1998.

Later, Naidu's importance in national affairs grew. This happened after the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. The TDP and the BJP had an agreement before the election. Together, they won 36 out of 42 seats. The BJP became the largest single party. The TDP supported the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. This government was led by A. B. Vajpayee. The TDP did not join the government directly. They offered support on specific issues. Naidu said that Vajpayee offered his party eight cabinet positions. But the TDP chose to stay out of the government and support it from outside.

Leader of the Opposition (2004–2014)

After the attack on him, Naidu decided to hold early state elections. These elections happened in April 2004, along with the national elections. The TDP government faced challenges. People were unhappy about high electricity prices and lack of support for farmers. Also, a new alliance between Congress(I) and TRS challenged TDP in Telangana. The Telugu Desam Party lost both the state and national elections. The Congress Party won 185 seats in the assembly. The TDP won 47 seats, which was its lowest number at that time. The TDP won only 5 out of 42 seats in Parliament. Naidu believed that a severe drought and holding elections early were the main reasons for his defeat.

In the 2009 assembly and parliamentary elections, Naidu faced another challenge. A popular actor, Chiranjeevi, started the Praja Rajyam Party. This made the election a three-way contest. The TDP, which allied with TRS this time, again lost to the Congress Party. The TDP won 92 seats in the assembly. The Congress got 156 seats, a small majority. Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam won 18 seats. Naidu blamed Chiranjeevi's entry into politics for his party's loss.

Third Term as Chief Minister (2014–2019)

Chandrababu Naidu at rescue operations of Visakhapatnam airport during Hudhud cyclone

After Andhra Pradesh was divided in 2014, elections were held. These were for the new states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Naidu formed an alliance with the BJP and Jana Sena Party. He returned to power in the new Andhra Pradesh state. His alliance won 102 out of 175 seats. The TDP also won 16 seats in the Lok Sabha. Naidu took his oath as the first Chief Minister of the new Andhra Pradesh. This happened at Mangalagiri, near Guntur. His party joined the NDA government at the national level. They held two positions in the national cabinet. Two cabinet positions in the state were given to the BJP.

The Chief Minister faced many challenges in the new state. Andhra Pradesh did not have a capital city. It also lacked a major economic center. Naidu started building a new capital city called Amaravati. It was located near Vijayawada, on the southern side of the Krishna river. During Naidu's term, the state ranked high in the World Bank's Ease of Business rankings. This was from 2015 onwards. The state attracted big companies like Kia Motors, Isuzu Motors, Pepsi, Mondelez, and Foxconn.

Special Status and BJP Breakup

In March 2018, the TDP removed its two ministers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. This was over the issue of special category status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh. The previous Congress government had promised SCS during the passing of the AP Reorganisation Bill. Later, Naidu announced that the TDP was leaving the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He said this was because of the "injustice" done to Andhra Pradesh by not giving it SCS.

In 2016, Naidu had agreed to a financial package for Andhra Pradesh instead of special status. This was announced by the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. So, the TDP's decision to leave the NDA was seen as a political move. It was a response to growing criticism from the opposition. They were unhappy about the special category status not being fulfilled. Naidu further criticized the central government by holding a hunger strike. This was called 'Dharma Porata Deeksha' (a day-long 'protest for justice') in Delhi. This event greatly worsened the relationship between the TDP and the BJP.

As of February 2018, reports from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) stated he was the richest Chief Minister in India. His total assets were 177 crore.

Alliance with Congress Party

In a surprising move, the TDP formed an alliance with the Congress Party. This was for the 2018 Telangana assembly elections. The alliance included the Congress, TDP, and the Communist Party of India (CPI). They called themselves the "Maha Kootami" (grand alliance). Their main goal was to defeat the TRS (now BRS) in the elections. This was the first time the TDP, which was founded against the Congress, joined forces with them. During this time, Naidu was pushing for a non-BJP alliance. This alliance would include regional parties with Congress support. The goal was to make a big impact in the upcoming national elections. This plan failed in the Telangana elections. K. Chandrashekar Rao's TRS won by a large margin. As a result, the TDP and Congress later separated. They did not ally for the 2019 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections. The alliance with Congress and its outcome was difficult for Naidu. It led to a loss of trust because of the changing alliances.

2019 Elections

In the 2019 assembly and parliamentary elections, the ruling TDP lost significantly. The YSR Congress Party, led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, won by a landslide. The YSRCP secured 151 out of 175 seats in the assembly. The TDP only managed to win 23 seats. In the Lok Sabha, the TDP won three seats. The YSRCP won the remaining 22 seats.

Fourth Term as Chief Minister (2024–present)

Naidu became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for a record fourth time. He took his oath on 12 June 2024. This happened after the TDP, allied with the BJP and JSP, won the 2024 state legislative assembly election by a large margin. They won 164 out of 175 seats. They defeated the YSR Congress Party led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He has promised to bring back Amaravati as the only capital of Andhra Pradesh. He said he would rebuild the capital as soon as possible. Mr. Naidu stated he would ask the Central government for help to rebuild Amaravati. He was confident that this support would come. The Central government had given tax breaks for land sales. It also released ₹1,500 crore out of the approved ₹2,500 crore for Amaravati.

As of December 2024, the Association for Democratic Reforms reported he was the richest Chief Minister in India. His total assets were 932 crore.

Business Ventures

Heritage Foods Limited (HFL) is a dairy company. Naidu started it in 1992. The company became public in 1994. Heritage Foods had a yearly income of INR 26,429 million in 2021–22. Currently, Nara Bhuvaneswari, Naidu's wife, is the vice-chairperson and managing director. Nara Brahmani, Naidu's daughter-in-law, is the executive director. Heritage has many stores in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also has a strong presence in many other states. Heritage also has a renewable energy part. It runs solar and wind power plants in 11 different places. Heritage Foods is a big part of Naidu's current wealth.

Other Important Work

Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation

Chandrababu Naidu is the chairman and director of the Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation (GFST). He started this organization in March 2020 in Hyderabad. It is a global, non-profit, and non-political group. Its goal is to help economies and communities be more sustainable. In June 2023, GFST held a seminar on 'Deep Technologies' in Hyderabad. One of its projects is to create Vision India@2047. This vision looks ahead to India's 100th year of Independence. Naidu revealed a document called India@2047, written by GFST, on 15 August 2023, in Visakhapatnam.

NTR Trust

The NTR Memorial Trust was started in 1997 by Chandrababu Naidu. It is a non-profit organization. The Trust does many things. These include providing free education and blood transfusion services. It also holds health camps and supports programs for empowerment and livelihoods. The Trust runs a blood bank and Thalassemia center in Hyderabad. It also has blood banks in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. Additionally, it operates schools in Hyderabad and Challapalli. It also runs NTR Junior & Degree College for Women in Hyderabad. Naidu's wife, Nara Bhuvaneswari, manages the Trust's daily work. She is the managing trustee.

Bill Gates with Chandrababu Naidu in Visakhapatnam

Awards and Recognition

Naidu has received many awards. These include IT Indian of the Millennium from India Today. He was also named Business Person of the Year by The Economic Times. Time Asia called him South Asian of the Year. He received the Golden Peacock Award for leadership in Public Service & Economic Transformation. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum's Dream Cabinet. Naidu led the National IT Panel under the National Democratic Alliance (India) (NDA) government. Profit (Oracle Corporation's monthly magazine) called him one of the "hidden seven" working wonders of the world. In 2000, the US business school, the Kellogg School of Management, offered him an honorary professorship. In 2003, he was the Chairman of the National Task Force on Micro-irrigation for the Indian government. In 2016, he led a 13-member committee of Chief Ministers. This committee worked to promote digital payments and financial inclusion in India.

• The then Governor of Illinois, Jim Edgar, created a Naidu day on 24 September 1998 in his honor.
• Voted IT Indian of the Millennium in a poll by India Today and 20:20 Media.
• He was named South Asian of the Year in 1999 by Time magazine, US.
• In 2001, Profit, a magazine by Oracle Corporation, US, called him one of the hidden "Seven working wonders around the world".
• Business Person of the Year by Economic Times.
• Golden Peacock Award for Leadership in Public Service & Economic Transformation - 2017.
• Global Agriculture Policy Leadership Award by Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA).
• The Pune-based group, Bharatiya Chatra Sansad, honored him with Aadarsh Mukhyamantri Puraskar (Model CM Award). This was at its 6th annual meeting on 30 January 2016.
• Transformative Chief Minister Award in May 2017 by US-India Business Council (USIBC). This was at the West Coast Summit in the Silicon Valley.

Portrayals in Films

• He was played by Rana Daggubati in NTR: Kathanayakudu (2019) in a small role. He had a bigger role in its sequel NTR: Mahanayakudu (2019).
• He was played by Sritej in the Ram Gopal Varma film Lakshmi's NTR (2019). This film follows events after NTR: Mahanayakudu but is not related to the other two films.

Electoral History

Election results

Year	Office	Constituency	Party		Votes	%	Opponent	Party		Votes	%	Result	Ref
1978	MLA	Chandragiri	Indian National Congress		35,092	44.23	Kongara Pattabhi Rama Chowdary	Janata Party		32,598	41.08	Won
1983					32,581	38.76	Medasani Venkatarama Naidu	Telugu Desam Party		50,010	59.49	Lost
1989		Kuppam	Telugu Desam Party		50,098	52.65	B. R. Doraswamy Naidu	Indian National Congress		43,180	45.38	Won
1994					81,210	75.49	R. Gopinath			24,622	22.89	Won
1999					93,288	74.42	M. Subramanyam Reddy			27,601	22.02	Won
2004					98,123	69.93				38,535	27.46	Won
2009					89,952	61.91				43,886	30.21	Won
2014					102,952	62.59	K. Chandramouli	YSR Congress Party		55,831	33.94	Won
2019					100,146	55.18				69,424	38.25	Won
2024					121,929	59.96	K. R. J. Bharath			73,923	36.35	Won