Talking to the Hindustan Times leadership summit as it marks its 100th anniversary, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu opened his doors to reflect on his political journey and show what he learned through setbacks. For Naidu, defeats in the 2004 and 2019 polls had much to do with his intention: seeking personal recognition, which led him to drift further and further away from the people. He said he had begun to believe everything was going well because of the steady flattery and had lost focus on staying in touch with people to achieve personal milestones.
Comparing himself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said, “I always think that Modi is the one who remained grounded and never lost contact with the public.”. When I took over as Chief Minister in 1995, India was on the verge of economic reforms and the internet revolution was just about to take off. Naidu seized the opportunities to bring improvements in the lives of citizens. Despite facing several challenges, he created an opportunity by directly communicating with the public and explaining the impact of his policies that ensured him the opportunity to win a second term in 1999, said Naidu.
Naidu confessed that his interest in self-aggrandizement drew him off focus from the people and admitted, “I got carried away in all the flattery and felt that everything was all right, but this attitude created blunders. In comparison, PM Modi always leads with the interests of the public at the core, ensuring their involvement at every stage.”
Naidu also discusses the vision of India’s future and informs that Prime Minister Modi has already begun building the framework for the 2029 elections and would keep working with concentration on the long-term development of the country.