Naidu to be sworn in as Andhra CM today

New Delhi, June 11

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu will on Wednesday take oath as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time with Governor Abdul Nazeer inviting him to form the government.

Naidu met the Governor this evening after a meeting of the ruling NDA partners — the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena — elected him the leader of the legislative party. PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union ministers JP Nadda and Bandi Sanjay Kumar will attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Ahead of that, Shah met Naidu and the two learnt to have discussed the contours of the state Cabinet. After his election as the NDA leader, Naidu said he was committed to the development of Amaravati as the sole capital city of Andhra Pradesh and had been assured of “cooperation by the Centre”.

“Prime Minister Modi is coming for the swearing-in ceremony. I will be taking oath as CM for the fourth time. I have sought Central Government’s cooperation for the state and have been assured full help,” the TDP president said.

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh and TDP Andhra Pradesh leader Atchannaidu are also expected to take oath in the Naidu-led Cabinet on Wednesday.

Sources in the NDA said Kalyan, the architect of the NDA alliance in Andhra, had been offered Deputy CM’s post. The 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly can have 26 ministers, including the CM. TDP sources said farmers who gave their land for the construction of Amaravati capital project had been invited to the ceremony.