Nara Lokesh celebrates father Chandrababu Naidu's first swearing-in as CM

Amaravati, Sep 1 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Monday commemorated 30th anniversary of his father and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's first swearing-in as CM on September 1, 1995.

Naidu ruled the state continuously from 1995 to 2004 and went on to become the CM again in 2014 and in 2024, four times in total. During his first two tenures, he was CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

"Warm greetings on completing three decades sir (Naidu), a person I am privileged to call 'nanna' (dad) at home and 'Boss' at work. Still young at heart and steadied by experience, our Chief Minister stands ready to meet new challenges with clarity, courage, and conviction," said Lokesh in a post on X.

Thirty years ago today, Naidu took oath for the first time as Chief Minister, marking the dawn of an era that reimagined Andhra Pradesh's ambitions and accelerated its rise, he said.

From 'retooling' governance with technology to catalysing investment and jobs, this journey has been about turning possibilities into reality and aspirations into durable institutions, Lokesh said.

"From HITEC City (Hyderabad) and Genome Valley powering a new tech identity, to Amaravati symbolising our will to build future-ready urbanism, his leadership stitched together innovation, infrastructure, and inclusion," said the IT Minister.

According to the TDP general secretary, the 'CBN (Naidu) playbook' blended 'speed with accountability', building resilient infrastructure, data-driven services, and platforms that empower citizens and enterprises alike.

Likewise, he observed that by creating 'poverty alleviation schemes and reservation policies', Naidu's tenure has been marked by a 'remarkable improvement in social justice and the empowerment of the weakest'.

Similarly, he highlighted that Naidu's reign witnessed the channelling of Krishna river waters through Handri - Neeva and lift irrigation projects to arid Rayalaseema region to quench the drinking water needs and irrigation.

Upcoming irrigation schemes like Polavaram and Banakacherla will transform Rayalaseema into Ratnalaseema (place of precious stones), he said.

"Thirty years is more than a milestone. It is a living legacy. From HITEC City to "Quantum" frontiers, from biotech aspirations to data-driven economies, the work remains a legacy in progress," Lokesh added, showering praises on his father. PTI STH ADB