India, Aug. 30 -- The last week of August 1995 saw unprecedented political drama in Hyderabad that thrust a hitherto low-profile N Chandrababu Naidu into the national spotlight as he replaced his father-in-law and Telugu Desam Party founder NT Rama Rao as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in a family coup.

Hindustan Times chronicled the developments that culminated with an August 26, 1995 report on the late-night confirmation by the then Andhra Pradesh Assembly speaker Y Ramakrishnudu that Naidu had the support of 163 MLAs of the TDP in the 294-member assembly. This would pave the way for Naidu to be sworn in as chief minister, the HT report said.

A day earlier, HT reported that over 152 MLAs under the leadership of Naidu, then state...