Bharat Ram, a brilliant and curious student, graduates with his 5th degree from Oxford.
After celebrating, his uncle tells him that his father Raghava Rao, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (pre-division), passed away from a stroke. Bharat flies home and reminisces.
As a child, Bharat spent most of his time with his mother and best friend Subash next door as his father was busy setting up a political party with his best friend Varadarajulu, the party president. After breaking a small promise, his mother scolds him and tells him about the importance of commitments. She dies in her sleep afterwards, impacting Bharat immensely. Raghava Rao then takes care of him at home, but Varadarajulu tells him that he must prepare for the upcoming elections and suggests he remarry to give Bharat a new mother. He agrees, having another child, Siddharth, with his new wife. Bharat's attempts to bond with his stepmother fail, so he spends more time at Subash's house. Soon, Subash's parents get jobs in London, and Bharat wants to go with them. After some time Raghava Rao agrees.
After the flashback, Bharat arrives in India and attends his father's funeral amid heavy media attention and speculation over who the next Chief Minister will be. Varadarajulu tells Bharat that his father, an asthmatic, had to be hospitalized due to the cold and that the final rites were completed by Siddharth because of Raghava Rao's death caused public disarray and they couldn't wait for him. Bharat then drives around the city and gets frustrated by the chaotic atmosphere. Varadarajulu introduces him to many politicians, including opposition party leader Sripathi Rao and his son Manohar. As Bharat prepares to return to London, Varadarajulu cancels his ticket, explaining that he should be the next CM. Bharat objects and asks Varadarajulu to accede instead, but he opposes based on his position and intra-party conflict. Bharat reluctantly agrees and becomes CM despite his inexperience. However, his strict policies and novel ideas restore law and order and become popular with the public, earning the opposition's ire. One day, he sees a girl named Vasumathi and instantly falls in love with her. Bharat surprises Vasumathi by calling her and asks her out about, kindling romance. Later, he finds out that many politicians are laundering money and tries to expose Manohar. However, Varadarajulu stops the investigation and invites Bharat to the politicians' small party, where their collaboration and scheming surprise him. He decides to remove all this corruption from politics.
Ramana and other villagers come to Bharat in tears, explaining how their MLA, fellow party member Damu, is unhelpful and corrupt. Now, his son is replacing him, and they seek guidance. Bharat tells Ramana to run against him. Damu's henchmen kill many villagers in return, so Bharat sends undercover police officers to protect Ramana. Damu's police officers attempt to murder Ramana at his cinema hall, but Bharat arrives in time. Damu proclaims that Bharat is only powerful due to his bodyguards. After Bharat alone defeats his henchmen, however, Damu retreats. Bharat soon decides local governance must be instated, which succeeds despite the assembly's disapproval. However, Varadarajulu exposes Bharat's relationship with Vasumathi, causing a scandal and accusations of nepotism since she now works with him. Bharat resigns, Varadarajulu becomes Chief Minister, and Vasumathi and her father move to their native village.
Bharat arranges a press meet, where he attacks their sensationalism. Afterwards, his friend, ACP Krishna IPS, tells him they found a reporter hiding in a village. Bharat, along with Bhaskar and Security Officer Mukthar, go there and learn the reporter met with Raghava Rao before his death and proved Varadarajulu's corruption to him. As they leave, Mukthar gets shot in an ambush. Bharat takes him to a hospital and spots Varadarajulu's henchmen, so they escape again. Bharat eventually fights them in an abandoned area. As an army of goons shows up, the villagers arrive to protect him. They follow Bharat to Varadarajulu's office, where they face off. Varadarajulu reveals that he tampered with Raghava Rao's medicines to slowly paralyze and kill him. Finally, all the corrupt politicians are jailed, and Varadarajulu commits suicide. Bharat once again becomes Chief Minister, and proposes marriage to Vasumathi in her village.
