NDA Government: Poll victory fosters bond among four prominent political families | Visakhapatnam News

VISAKHAPATNAM: The swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government, comprising TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena, in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday ignited jubilation among four prominent political families — Nara, Nandamuri, Konidela, and Daggubati.
Following his defeat in 2019, N Chandrababu Naidu was incarcerated for several weeks in 2023 due to an alleged multicrore skill development scam.At one point, it appeared that the party, led by the Nara-Nandamuri families, was on the brink of extinction.

Even though Naidu had seen it all before he was jailed, having served both as chief minister and a prominent figure in national politics during the United Front days and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s prime ministership, as well as opposition leader, losing the 2024 election could have had dire consequences for him and his TDP.
However, Naidu staged a stronger comeback with NDA hitting a 94% strike rate in the 2024 elections in Andhra Pradesh. Political observers attribute this success to people perceiving Naidu as having a vision for the development of Andhra Pradesh and appreciating his pro-development image.
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan emerged as a saviour for TDP during Naidu’s darkest hour, especially when the TDP chief was incarcerated. The pivotal moment that reshaped Andhra Pradesh politics occurred when police obstructed Pawan on his way to Vijayawada on the day of Naidu’s arrest in September last year. His meeting with Naidu in Rajahmundry central jail, along with Nara Lokesh and Nandamuri Balakrishna, and developments in the consequent months slowly tilted the scale towards the opposition.
Pawan’s unconditional support for Naidu, without even discussing seat sharing for the election, further solidified the NDA alliance, leading to an unprecedented victory in the state’s history.
Pawan’s charisma and following played a crucial role in the alliance’s resounding victory in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur districts, where they secured 80 out of 82 Assembly seats. The long-awaited triumph for noted film actor Konidela Chiranjeevi’s family (also known as the ‘mega family’) in the two Telugu states came after years of political anticipation since Chiranjeevi’s entry into politics with his Praja Rajyam Party in 2008.
On the other hand, state BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari’s husband Venkateswara Rao enjoyed number two position in TDP before Naidu took over the reins of the party. Although Purandeswari served as a two-time MP and minister in the UPA regime, her direct impact remained limited. However, the BJP’s stellar performance under her leadership, along with her victory as Rajahmundry MP in the recent elections, marks a significant milestone for the Daggubati family.
The alliance parties led by Naidu, Purandeswari, and Pawan operated in perfect synergy from the moment they formalised their election alliance. This collaboration extended to seat allocation, campaigning, and poll management. The camaraderie among the four families was evident during the swearing-in ceremony, as the entire clan of each family arrived in large numbers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the brother duo of Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan to the centre of the stage, sharing a warm moment with them.