In 1983, Naidu was elected to the state assembly from Harishchandrapuram in his native district at the age of 25, becoming one of the youngest Members of the Legislative Assembly(MLA). He was re-elected in 1985. Denied a TDP ticket in 1989, he fought as an independent and was re-elected to the assembly. He later returned to the party fold and was elected for the fourth consecutive term in 1994.
