Has Chandrababu Lost Control Over the AP Government?

For anyone closely observing the political landscape in Andhra Pradesh, it's likely they are wondering whether Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has lost control over governance. Various factors can lead one to hold such an opinion. Indiscriminate arrests and political targeting to distract from the government’s failures are among the reasons.

If there is one promise the TDP-led NDA government has enthusiastically fulfilled, it is the implementation of the ‘Red Book’ law in the state. In the run-up to the elections, TDP general secretary and Chandrababu’s son, Nara Lokesh, had extensively promoted the Red Book, claiming it contained the names of those who “troubled the TDP under the YSRCP regime” and vowed that he would not spare anyone once the TDP returned to power.

Naidu had launched the ‘Super Six’, promising unemployment allowances for youth, financial assistance for farmers, support for mothers of school-going children, and other benefits for women in the state. While the ‘Super Six’ promises have conveniently been ignored, the government, through the Red Book, has launched a political witch-hunt against YSRCP leaders.

Instead of addressing public concerns, Chandrababu Naidu appears to be focusing on winning public favour by waging a relentless campaign against the YSRCP. Even after 10 months in power, the Chief Minister continues to blame the previous YSRCP regime for his inability to deliver on promises. At public gatherings, he often holds the former Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government responsible for mounting debts and the state’s deteriorating financial condition, citing these as reasons for the TDP government’s failures. YSRCP leader and former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath has categorically debunked these claims.

Besides failing to generate wealth in the state—one of the main planks of his election campaign—Naidu continues to target the YSRCP in an effort to cover up shortcomings and divert public attention from pressing issues.

A look at the timeline of unfolding events reveals the government's game plan. Just as the issue regarding the allocation of 60 acres of prime land in Visakhapatnam to Ursa Clusters—a company incorporated in Hyderabad only two months ago—began to attract attention, former Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Chief P.S.R. Anjaneyulu was arrested.

The IPS officer’s only fault was exposing the corrupt practices committed by the TDP in its previous tenure (2014-19).

In the past 10 months, the TDP government has backtracked on several promises—just as YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had warned. While it had promised free bus travel for women across the State, the government took a U-turn and said the scheme would be limited only to their respective districts.

Anticipating the anger, the ruling alliance seemingly fabricated a liquor scam. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate YSRCP leaders, including Rajampet MP Midhun Reddy, who has been falsely implicated in the case.

In stark contrast to his promises, Chandrababu Naidu’s government has failed on all fronts. The YSRCP has consistently exposed the TDP government’s falsehoods by presenting data on the massive debts incurred over the past 10 months. It has also highlighted a decline in the state’s total revenue, effectively undermining Naidu’s narrative of ‘wealth creation.’

With such haphazard governance on full display, it is no surprise that political observers believe Chandrababu Naidu has lost control over the state.