On September 9th 2023, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government committed a monumental blunder that changed the fate of Andhra Pradesh politics. That is the arrest of Telugu Desam Party national president and the then leader of Opposition Chandrababu Naidu who ruled the state for 14 years long years. This arrest turned out to be a fatal blow not for the TDP but for the YSR Congress party which experienced the a crushing defeat in the 2024 assembly elections.
At around 6 pm a year ago, when Chandrababu Naidu took a halt at the RK Puram Function Hall in Nandyal after a public meet, the Andhra Pradesh police have arrested him in connection with an alleged Skill Development scam worth 3,300 Crores. Naidu was arrested under relevant IPC sections, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 465 (forgery). In addition, AP CID has also invoked the Prevention of Corruption Act against him.
This move by YS Jagan’s government seemed like an act of political vendetta given Naidu’s clean image in the last four decades as one of India’s most popular political figure who hardly faced any corruption charges throughout his career. He was a pioneer of so many innovative governance ideas and also maintained an impeccable track record when he was the Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh. So, many have called his arrest illegal and unwarranted.
Many political observers believed that the arrest of the leader of the main Opposition party unceremoniously was a hasty reaction from the ruling party and it may be counter-productive, as Chandrababu Naidu will certainly use it as a platform for gaining sympathy votes. As predicted, this arrest turned the tide in the favour of Telugu Desam Party because Naidu gained immense support from all corners not just in Andhra Pradesh but across the country. Naidu’s supporters in other states also took processions in protest of the arrest.
Immediately after Naidu’s arrest, Janasena supremo Pawan Kalyan, who was just then emerging as a formidable alternative force, announced forthwith an alliance with TDP ahead of the forthcoming elections. This step proved to be a historic one as the NDA swept the elections and handed over a crushing blow to YSR Congress party which was in power from 2019-2024. It was Pawan Kalyan who played a significant role in reconciliation of ties between TDP and BJP. And, CBN reclaimed power for the fourth time with a thumping mandate and helmed the Chief Minister’s chair yet again as NDA emerged victorious with 164 seats out of 175.
As the clock ticks one year, the people of Andhra Pradesh are recollecting how the previous government resorted to vindictive politics against its opponents and opine that CBN’s arrest proved to be a disaster in the making for YS Jagan’s party.