Naidu describes himself as someone from a farming community. During his political career, he has taken up thecause of farmers frequently. Famous for his oratorical skills from his days as a youth leader, he has been the BJP’s pre-eminent leader from southern India since the ’80s.

Naidu was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteerand later joined the BJP’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He was imprisoned under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act during the Emergency — from 1975 to 77. Naidu was an MLA from 1978 to 1983, president of the All India BJP youth wing from 1980 to 1985, state president of Andhra Pradesh BJP from 1993 to 2000, and BJP national general-secretary in 1998.

He was the party spokesman from 1996 to 2000, bringing to the job his panache for quirky alliterations and similes. Unlike most politicians from southern India, Naidu made an effort to master Hindi, going on to address public rallies in northern India.

He was elected the BJP president for a three year term— from 2002 —, but quit in 2004 when the National Democratic Alliance lost power in that year’s Lok Sabha elections. He was succeeded by L K Advani. As rural development minister, Naidu was credited with initiating and effective implementation of the ‘pradhanmantri gram sadak yojana’