There is little doubt that the prime minister's own charisma exceeds that of his party, but 2024 is proof that no party can ultimately depend on one person to deliver victory all the time, points out R Jagannathan.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party grapples with a potential shortfall in its Lok Sabha tally, its ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has unequivocally pledged allegiance to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), dismissing any speculation of a pivot towards the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu was sworn in as the first chief minister of new Andhra Pradesh at a function at Nagarjuna Nagar, 18 kms from Vijaywada on Sunday.
What some of our leaders were up to this week.
On Monday, Naidu and other TDP leaders refused to accept bail after a fresh hearing was conducted upon completion of their two-day judicial remand period. Following this, the Nanded magistrate extended their judicial remand till July 26.
'Someone who cannot even take his cabinet into confidence, how will he take the NDA alliance into confidence?'
Banerjee said the prime minister will now have to move around the country and also abroad with two crutches.
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu today crossed the 800-kilometre milestone in his ongoing 'Vastunna Meekosam' foot march, when he reached Budera village under Andhole Assembly constituency in neighbouring Medak district.
Please promise, especially those millions who trust you with their hard-earned money, never to let your voting preferences determine your actions on the markets. The most appalling and scary phenomenon was fund houses and brokerages going out on election yatras and writing copious reports promising more than 300 for the BJP. That was your wish as voters. Your investors are paying for it now, points out Shekhar Gupta.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was surging ahead in two southern states -- Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka -- while the respective blocs led by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and Congress in Kerala were on their way for another excellent show, going by the latest trends emerging from the counting of voted polled in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls.
Even as Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate commences his Telangana campaign on Tuesday, there is still no concrete word from Chandrababu Naidu on whether he would withdraw the three TDP candidates he has pitched against his ally BJP.
Ramoji Rao lived as the interface between business and politics and was an active participant in both for most of his remarkable life.
Modi has proven to be a past master in the art of political survival. This means that learning to navigate the choppy waters of coalition government will be an art he will not take long to master, argues Shyam Parekh.
Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu blamed the ruling Congress for the present state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh and asked the party to bail the state out of the crisis. "This has become such a complex issue that divisions have taken place in political parties. Congress is responsible for this and they should solve the problem," Naidu, on a tour of West Godavari and East Godavari districts in coastal Andhra, said at Tanuku.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he will back any candidate announced by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar as Maha Vikas Aghadi's chief ministerial face.
It will be in Modi's interest to reinvent his party, read the writing on the wall that voters wrote, and move ahead. He has little choice now. The country is watching, asserts Ramesh Menon.
Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu turned 58 on Sunday. Naidu said that the TDP, under his stewardship, aimed at ushering the third generation economic reforms for the benefit of the poorer sections. He lamented that the reforms undertaken so far had only benefited some states and the rich sections of society.The TDP leader said that he visited NTR's samadhi to seek his blessings for embarking on a 100-day rath yatra.
No-trust motion battle was between BJP's majority and our morality, says TDP chief.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is contesting from Pulivendula constituency is the son of former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the former Andhra Pradesh CM said, 'For the past 45 years, I have selflessly served Telugu people. I am prepared to sacrifice my life to safeguard the interests of Telugu people. No force on earth can stop me from serving Telugu people, my #AndhraPradesh and my motherland.'
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and top leaders of the party, including over 25 members of Legislative Assembly, were on Tuesday taken into preventive custody as they were proceeding in a rally to the electricity office here to protest hike in power charges and erratic supply.
Unidentified miscreants hurled a stone at the Chief Minister on Saturday night near Vivekananda School Centre in Vijayawada's Singh Nagar, which injured his left temple when he was canvassing for polls.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a Preliminary Enquiry to probe alleged disproportionate assets amassed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu and 12 others.
Granting SCS to the state has been a long-pending demand of the JD-U supremo and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose Bihar cabinet had even passed a resolution last year requesting the Centre to grant SCS to the state.
'Don't be surprised if the Census forms come with a caste box.' 'I will be surprised if it doesn't. It will be a point conceded to Rahul Gandhi and his allies,' asserts Shekhar Gupta. The BJP machine could take all 3 in its stride, but this election has changed that, notes Shekhar Gupta.
He will be around for another crack at the elections, and a clear majority, predicts Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy on Wednesday pulled up Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu for questioning his authority and showing 'disrespect to the chair.' On the third day of the marathon debate on the no-trust motion tabled by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party, the speaker lost his cool when Naidu and other TDP members wildly gesticulated and made certain remarks against the chair.
The state's economic health is in focus as it has consistently breached the fiscal deficit in eight of the last 10 years since Telangana's formation.
Chandrababu Naidu was on Monday unanimously re-elected the president of the Telugu Desam Party for a two-year term as there was no other nomination, senior party leader P Ashok Gajapathi Raju announced on the final day of three-day party convention.
Telugu Desam Party supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu shared an emotional moment with his grandson Nara Devans when he walked out of Rajahmundry jail.
The plan to relieve NSG from VIP security tasks has been in the making since 2012 when NSG commanders foresaw an event where simultaneous terror attacks could be witnessed at one time on multiple centres in the country and the commandos will have to be rushed in different directions.
Campaigning for May 13 elections in 96 Lok Sabha constituencies across 10 states and Union territories including all seats in Andhra Pradesh, where assembly elections are also being held concurrently, and Telangana concluded on Saturday evening.
If the concerns over risking political capital are overcome, the long-term gains for the Indian economy will be immense, asserts A K Bhattacharya.
Telugu movie doyens mourn a legend.
The Bharatiya Janata Party suffered stunning losses in three Hindi heartland states, partial poll results showed Tuesday, forcing the party to rely on allies to form the government after a bitter and divisive election that was projected as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy battle it out for power from Kuppam and Pulivendula respectively. Vicky Nanjappa compares the two areas to see how both of them fare.
The BJP is willing to offer two Lok Sabha seats, including Baghpat which is currently represented by its MP Satya Pal Singh, to the RLD and may also give it a Rajya Sabha seat, they added.
