Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has publicly endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the ideal leader for India’s continued progress, citing the Prime Minister’s understanding of technology and economic vision. Speaking at the 31st CII Partnership Summit on Friday, Naidu argued that the next two decades are critical for the nation’s development. He stated that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the best choice" for guiding the country through this pivotal period, according to The Hindu BusinessLine.
Naidu, who also serves as the president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), framed political alliances through the lens of economic delivery rather than ideology. He noted that while political parties held ideological differences before the 1991 economic reforms, the current agenda is unified around improving the standard of living for citizens. He attributed a shift in the national mindset to these reforms, which he said transformed how Indians view their capacity to strengthen the country. Naidu emphasized that strong leadership is essential to maintain this momentum and deliver tangible results to the populace.
Reflecting on his fifty-year political career, Naidu discussed the challenges of governance and the pitfalls of power. He admitted that being in office can lead to an obsession with doing too many things simultaneously, causing leaders to lose balance. He revealed that he personally experienced this twice, resulting in electoral defeats in the past. However, he claimed that his current stint as Chief Minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has allowed him to adopt a more balanced approach. He cited the NDA’s victory in the 2024 elections, where the alliance secured a 53 per cent vote share, as evidence of the coalition’s effectiveness.
A significant portion of the address focused on the development of Amaravati as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu defended the substantial capital expenditure required for the greenfield city, arguing it would create wealth and provide world-class infrastructure. He highlighted that 29,000 farmers voluntarily pooled 33,000 acres for the project, demonstrating public trust. To illustrate the potential for value creation, he compared the initiative to the development of Cyberabad and HITEC City in Hyderabad, where land values rose from ₹1 lakh per acre to as high as ₹180 crore per acre in some locations. He projected that Amaravati, along with a new airport, would emerge as a world-class city within the next ten years.