Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu is always at the forefront when it comes to self-flattery. He would unabashedly call himself a visionary, does not think twice to credit himself with introducing cellular phones to Indian market and would brazenly claim to be the architect of Hyderabad for what it is now. But what he conveniently sidesteps in this melee is a set of humiliating records that are his own, as history shows.

Chandrababu Naidu would perhaps be the only top-notch leader in the two Telugu states with the dubious distinction of losing elections whenever he contested alone. His detractors often rake this up for ridicule, saying he would only ride piggyback on strong players of the season to get to the corridors of power. Statistically, there is another forgettable record in his account for being the only chief minister to have lost power to the father-son duo of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and later YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

In fact, this was highlighted by none other than a Telugu daily that is part of the so-called yellow media brigade soon after the 2019 elections in Andhra Pradesh. The newspaper said that Naidu would have the unique record to be the leader of opposition during the rule of a father and son at different times. Exhibiting its loyalty to Naidu, the crony media organ, however, painted this piece of ignominious news with a holy touch of respectability and positivity.

Almost five years later, the issue of horrendous records returns to haunt the TDP chief, but with a new prospect. A few posts trending on social media platforms suggest that Chandrababu Naidu will also end up as the longest serving opposition leader if the TDP bites the dust yet again in 2024. According to these narratives, Chandrababu has already spent 15 years in opposition in between his terms for 14 years as the chief minister. If the TDP loses the 2024 Assembly election battle, it will only mean that he has to grudgingly sit in the opposition for five more years. Thus, he will end up entering the record books as the longest-serving opposition leader in the political history of the two Telugu states. Naidu-baiters quickly pounced on this piece of info on social media platforms and are extending advanced greetings to him even before the polls. They feel that Naidu is the only leader fully deserving of this special feat.