TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, along with his family, offered prayers at Tirupati Balaji temple in Tirumala on Thursday morning.
CM Naidu reached Tirumala on Wednesday evening, where he received a warm welcome from the temple authorities.
During the visit, the Chief Minister was accompanied by his wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari, son and state minister Nara Lokesh, Lokesh’s wife Nara Brahmani, and their son Devansh.
People in huge numbers were pictured outside the Tirumala temple upon the arrival of the Chief Minister.
Speaking to reporters in Tirumala after the temple visit, CM Naidu said, “My family members are devotees of Lord Tirumala Venkateswara. I visit the deity before making any major decisions. I have never seen such success given by the people of the state. People’s rule has started in the state, there should be a purge”.
“The Lord saved me earlier when I was attacked by Naxals. I prayed for this state’s prosperity. Economic disparities should be removed in the state. My goal is not only to create wealth but also to distribute it to the poor”, he said.
“I have been donating money for Annadanam (food donations) since the day my grandson Devansh was born. I always work for a poverty-free society”, Naidu added.
The Chief Minister asserted good governance in the state, adding that his government will not tolerate political conspiracies.
“Andhra Pradesh will play a key role in the country’s politics. From today on, good governance begins. I will fulfil the trust you have placed in me. By 2047, the Telugu people should be number one in the world. I will make Andhra Pradesh the number one state in the country”, he said.
“Crimes will not be tolerated. Some people are making false accusations against us after committing crimes. Political conspiracies will not be tolerated. I will start the purification of governance from Tirumala,” CM Naidu said.
The Chief Minister will assume office around 4.41 pm today in the State Secretariat in Amaravati and would sign five files that include mega DSC notification, revocation of the Land Titling Act, and increasing the social pension to the beneficiaries to Rs 4,000 per month.
The Chief Minister is also expected to clear the files regarding the taking up of the Skill Census exercise and the revival of Anna Canteens.
Naidu sworn in as the 18th CM of Andhra Pradesh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at an event in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
The 24-member cabinet also took oath of office on Wednesday along with the Chief Minister. This includes MLAs of Telugu Desam Party, Janasena Party and BJP. Andhra Governor S Abdul Nazeer administered oath of office to ministers.
This is the fourth time that Naidu is assuming charge as Andhra Chief Minister and the second time after the bi-furcation in 2014. Naidu became chief minister first in 1995, before the Andhra bifurcation and he led the state until 2004 for nine consecutive years. The TDP supremo returned as the chief minister of the bifurcated Andhra in 2014 and served until 2019.
Naidu had led the TDP- BJP-Janasena National Democratic Alliance to a landslide victory in the Assembly as well as parliamentary elections. TDP holds the majority in Andhra Pradesh 175-member assembly with 135 MLAs, while its allies, the Janasena Party, has 21 and BJP has eight. The opposition YSR Congress Party was confined to a meagure 11. (ANI)