Appolitics:
By Muralikrishna ✍✍✍
“That’s Chandrababu’s Bad Luck”: How Narratives Overshadow Governance
When N. Chandrababu Naidu is in power, public discourse tends to revolve largely around development. Even though his governments have delivered substantial welfare measures often more than their predecessors the dominant perception remains that Naidu is only about development. This selective perception has, over time, given rise to various theories. Interestingly, many such narratives are not crafted by political adversaries alone at times, even Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supporters unintentionally become part of these echo chambers.
And those old theories are surfacing again.
The Old Theory:
One of the most persistent claims during the united Andhra era was that Naidu focused solely on the development of Hyderabad, eventually triggering the statehood movement. What critics conveniently ignore is the economic logic behind his governance model: a growing state needs a strong economic engine, and Hyderabad was positioned to become one.
Yet, this rational strategy was distorted by narratives that inflicted political damage on Naidu and the TDP.
Learning from that experience, Naidu today is attempting a balanced developmental model Amaravati as the capital, tech-led growth in Visakhapatnam, industrial expansion in Rayalaseema. But fresh narratives are being deployed once again.
Some claim he is ignoring Amaravati. Others say he is shifting investments to Visakhapatnam. The contradictions themselves prove the narrative-driven politics at play.
If Naidu brings investments, critics say he brings them only to one region.If he doesn’t announce investments immediately, they say he failed to attract any.
If he conducts global summits to woo investors, it is mocked as wasteful spending.
If he avoids such events, he’s accused of doing nothing.
During crises, if he works round the clock, detractors call it publicity.
If he stays away from cameras, they accuse him of inaction.
Over the years, judging Chandrababu Naidu through a lens of pre-set narratives has become a political habit. The same trend is visible again.
The truth is, Naidu’s approach to governance has remained consistent development-oriented, technology-driven and focused on long-term economic transformation. Yet, narratives continue to distort perception, often clouding public judgment.
Meanwhile, political opportunists unable to match his administrative depth depend on these narratives to mislead people.
The Trap TDP Cadre Must Avoid..
A simple comparison of governance themes offers clarity.
During the previous regime, the headlines for five years largely revolved around lawlessness, political vendetta and institutional collapse.
Today, the focus has shifted to infrastructure, investments, jobs and economic revival. Even the opposition attacks the government on development decisions, not on failures of governance or collapse of order.
This again shows how the agenda under Chandrababu Naidu is fundamentally different.
However, some TDP workers are falling into the very traps set by opponents—reacting to misleading narratives, amplifying them unintentionally and diluting the government’s core agenda of development.
And that, as many seasoned observers say, is Chandrababu’s perennial bad luck.
He works on long-term transformation, while political debates get hijacked by short-term narratives.
