N Chandrababu Naidu, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, marking his fourth term in office. Alongside him, Jana Sena Party chief and popular actor Pawan Kalyan took the oath as a Cabinet Minister.

Naidu's return to power is notable, given that just a few months ago, he was in jail following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering investigation related to an alleged skill development scam. After his release on bail, Naidu led his TDP to a significant victory in the state assembly elections, in alliance with the BJP and Jana Sena.

Pawan Kalyan and 23 other ministers, including Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, were also sworn in. The Jana Sena was allocated three Cabinet positions, while Satya Kumar Yadav was the sole BJP representative in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet. The state assembly, with 175 members, allows for a Cabinet of 26 ministers, including the Chief Minister.

The oath-taking ceremony in Vijayawada was attended by several high-profile figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, superstar Rajinikanth, Pawan Kalyan's elder brother and actor Chiranjeevi, former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, and other notable leaders.

The 2024 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections saw a resounding victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which secured 164 out of 175 seats. The TDP won 135 seats, Jana Sena secured 21 seats, and the BJP captured eight seats. The incumbent YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, managed to win only 11 seats.

On Tuesday, the Telugu Desam Legislature Party and NDA partners had chosen Naidu as their leader. In his address to the legislators, Naidu reiterated his commitment to developing Amaravati as the state's sole capital.