Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said that Andhra Pradesh is progressing on the pillars of development, welfare, and good governance, and urged people to ensure that this momentum continues. He cautioned that the return of ‘Vaikunthapali’ in the next elections would not bode well for the State.

Participating in Diwali celebrations at Punnamighat in Vijayawada along with his wife Bhuvaneshwari, the CM said, “People have already defeated the demon, that ruled Andhra Pradesh between 2019 and 2024, in the last elections. The people did not celebrate festivals during the five years of demon rule. We do not want Vaikunthapali in the next elections. The State is witnessing growth and positivity under the NDA’s leadership and do not let evil win again.”

Highlighting the government’s recent initiatives, Naidu said that despite financial constraints, the administration has prioritised welfare and employee benefits. “We have given DA to employees as a Diwali gift and restored surrender leave for the police. We are also revising the designations of lower-level employees to ensure they get due respect,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that the State’s economy had shown signs of revival over the last 16 months. “GST reductions have boosted trade. Taxes that were 18 percent have come down to 5 percent, and some that were 5 percent are now at zero. Families will save nearly Rs 15,000 annually because of this,” Naidu said, adding that Amaravati projects worth Rs 50,000 crore will be completed within three years.

Recalling his earlier vision for Hyderabad’s Cyberabad, Naidu said the State is now building a ‘Quantum Valley’ in Amaravati and positioning itself as a future hub for artificial intelligence. “We have secured a USD 15 billion Google investment. Vizag will become a global AI services hub, connecting the world. Some may not understand the importance of this, but they will, eventually,” he said.

Naidu said that his government’s vision is to make Andhra Pradesh a global leader and to ensure India emerges as the world’s top economy by 2047. “Good days are returning. We are organising several festive events in Vijayawada to spread happiness among the people,” Chief Minister Naidu said.