Three years on, Naidu revisits 53-day jail term and thanks his supporters

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday marked three years since his release from Rajahmundry Central Prison, recalling the 53 days he spent in custody and thanking the people who stood by him during what he called the hardest phase of a political career spanning four and a half decades.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said he was picked up at Nandyal in the small hours, with no notice served on him. He described the arrest as unlawful and politically motivated, and alleged that the government of the day wanted to silence the opposition for questioning its administration. The accusations have not been independently verified.

Naidu said a court verdict paved the way for his return to public life, and that the support he received had defeated efforts to isolate him behind bars. He thanked people in Andhra Pradesh, elsewhere in the country and in more than 60 countries who, he said, came forward voluntarily to back him and to protest against the previous government's actions. Supporters of democracy, he added, had voiced their backing within India and abroad.

He recalled the CBN Gratitude programme at Gachibowli Stadium, where a large crowd of young workers, tech employees and others assembled despite restrictions. Support, he said, came from farmers, students, village women, corporate executives and non-resident Indians, and he maintained that those who had found work through reforms during his tenure had come out on the streets of their own accord to show appreciation. The sight of so many people turning up despite restrictions, he said, had stayed with him.

The Chief Minister said his wife and family members, who usually stay away from politics, had reached out to the public with the message that "the truth must prevail". He said the response showed that good governance, and the opportunities it creates, can earn lasting public trust. The family's appeal, he said, drew a response from ordinary citizens.

The people's affection and trust, he said, were his strength, and he would stand by them "until my last breath". He thanked party workers, admirers and citizens for their backing, and said he would cherish it all his life. The post repeated his pledge to make Telugu people number one by 2047, with the line that the future of the people was his resolve.

Separately, the district is preparing for urban local body elections, with more than 2,300 police personnel deployed in NTR district and municipal polls due in Machilipatnam, Vuyyuru and Pedana.

(With inputs from media reports)