Behind The News is your round up of musings from the corridors of power. Naidu urged the TDP MLAs to stay connected with the people, round-the-clock, trumpet the party’s achievements, its future plans, and — most importantly — stay impervious to the “Jagan effect”.
Published Jul 01, 2025 | 1:57 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 01, 2025 | 1:57 PM
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at a Municipal Review meeting.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is in displeasure after 15 MLAs gave the TDP an extended meeting at the party’s central office in Mangalagiri in Guntur district, a miss.
Under Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s watchful eyes, MLAs are now discovering that the real dress code is not about clothes — it is about discipline. Right now, it seems some of them are underdressed and are under stress.
Naidu, a self-confessed workhorse who treats the clock more like a suggestion than a limit, is wondering why the rest of his team isn’t galloping at his pace. He toils day and night with the enthusiasm of a man half his age. But he forgets one tiny detail: The rest of his MLAs are not his carbon copies.
And if they were, frankly, they wouldn’t be where they are now — they’d probably be running their own startups, writing white papers, and giving TED Talks in their spare time.
The source of Naidu’s displeasure this time? 15 MLAs gave the TDP an extended meeting on Sunday, 29 June, at the party’s central office in Mangalagiri in Guntur district, a royal miss. A Sunday, mind you — the day normally reserved for sleeping in, avoiding emails, and escaping from life’s existential burdens. But Naidu? He probably considers Sunday just another Monday in disguise.
From the dais itself, the chief minister handed out what could only be described as a politely worded thunderbolt. Some MLAs, he noted, had become globe-trotters, spotted more often at AATA and NATA conferences in the US than in their own constituencies.
Others were on what appears to be a permanent temple tour—spiritual, no doubt, but not quite electoral. Naidu’s veiled warning: If they continue flying abroad so often, they might as well consider settling there, because the gates of the TDP might just stay locked when they return.
Adding to his list of pet peeves were those who perfected the ancient art of the disappearing act, signed the register, showed face for ten minutes, and then vanished into the ether.
Naidu, the original taskmaster, wasn’t amused. He declared the meeting “sacrosanct,” and said that anyone treating it like a tea break might soon find themselves out of the loop—and out of favour.
His message was simple and stark: If MLAs start losing interest in the party, the party leadership, read Naidu, might return the favour. And in a party where loyalty is prized and presence is everything, that is no small threat.
He urged them to stay connected with the people, round-the-clock, trumpet the party’s achievements, its future plans, and — most importantly — stay impervious to the “Jagan effect.”
The chief minister reminded everyone that the TDP lost the 2019 election not due to a lack of effort, but a lack of narrative. The party was so engrossed in rebuilding the post-bifurcation Andhra Pradesh, it forgot the golden rule of politics: If you’re not telling your story, someone else is usurping the opportunity. And that someone, unfortunately, was Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Meanwhile, the poor MLAs, some stifling yawns and others contemplating early retirement, sat through the monologue. Competing with Naidu’s energy is no easy task.
At over 70, he zips through meetings and inspections, leaving middle-aged MLAs huffing. For Naidu, there’s no room for slackers. But wouldn’t “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” And, all work with Naidu makes “Jack a sleep-deprived, overworked, slightly terrified man”.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
