Chandrababu Naidu Campaigns For BJP Ahead Of Delhi Election, Calls AAP 'Half-Engine Sarkar'

Delhi Election: Ahead of the Delhi assembly polls, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the AAP-led government model has "failed" and people should vote for a party that can lead to inclusive growth.

Addressing a press conference here, Naidu said people are worried about staying in Delhi because of the "weather and political pollution".

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There has been no development in the national capital, he asserted.

"Politicians have to always think about today, tomorrow and the future. A government with good public policy can transform society," he said.

Taking a jibe at the AAP government, he said Delhi has a "half-engine sarkar", and needs a double engine sarkar to achieve development.

Performance and better living standards are becoming relevant and not ideology, Naidu said and added "poor people in Delhi have to think if they want to live permanently in slums."

Naidu, whose party TDP is an ally of the ruling NDA at the Centre, also said that his party fully supports Budget 2025 as it aims to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

"We are in agreement with them. We are happy. It syncs with our 10 principles of growth," Naidu said.

The AP CM also questioned the sustainability of welfare politics without wealth creation. "Without creating wealth, what is the right of a politician to distribute wealth?" he asked, calling for a national debate on the issue.

Drawing from his political experience since 1978, Naidu highlighted the stark contrast between Delhi's current state and its historical position as a career-building hub.

"Originally, Delhi used to be home for building careers. It was our pride. Today, nobody is coming here. People are going from Delhi to other places for livelihood and opportunities," he observed.

The TDP chief particularly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) governance in Delhi and Punjab, questioning the lack of infrastructure development in the capital over the last decade.

He cited issues with water quality, claiming residents "cannot differentiate between drinking and drainage water" despite Central government schemes like AMRUT and Jal Jeevan Mission.

On development projects, he asked if there "has been any infra projects in the last 10 years? Long back, the metro had come. Nothing has been done."

Naidu termed Delhi's controversial liquor policy as the "worst scam" compared to other corruption cases and spoke about his own experience of introducing Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) in 1995 to reduce impurities in liquor.

Advocating for a development-focused approach, Naidu proposed his "P4" model -- public, private, and people's partnership -- to address poverty.

He suggested that the top 10 percent of high-net-worth individuals should adopt the bottom 20 percent to improve living standards.

Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Naidu endorsed the vision of India becoming a developed nation by 2047.

He cited the success of his own "Hyderabad model" from 1995, which he said has made the city "the most livable place" with the highest per capita income in Telangana.

Addressing the Congress-AAP rift, Naidu emphasised development over ideology.

"Be on the right side, not on the left side, then you can move forward. Otherwise, on the left side, you will be ignored and isolated," he said, adding that "right development is right politics."

The Andhra chief minister stressed that only sustainable wealth creation can support welfare measures, urging a shift in political discourse from ideological lines to developmental priorities.

"Some people have created wealth in 30 years and managed everything. Some people will come and destroy everything. Whose interest is this? We have to discuss this. Development has to go on and you cannot derail (development) with political and public policies for cheap popularity," Naidu said.

PM Modi took welfare measures during COVID-19 and even developed countries did it, but the government's focus should be on empowering people, he added.

Delhi goes to polls on February 5 and the results will be declared on February 8.