Telugu Desam Party shifts focus from old turf to hometown advantage

In the political ballpark of Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party readies to hit a political home run, while the YSR Congress Party faces a rising tide of anti-incumbency. ADITI PHADNIS writes

On National Highway 16, the journey from Rajahmundry (now Rajamahendravaram) to Guntur takes no more than three and a half hours, even during heavy traffic. On October 31, it took Nara Chandrababu Naidu eleven and a half hours. He was returning home to Undavalli in Guntur district after being granted bail in the skill development scam.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which he has led for nearly four decades, described his “release” as a victory for “innocence and truth”. However, the fact is that Naidu received bail because his lawyers argued that he needed to undergo an “urgent” cataract operation