The rising footprint of Nara Lokesh in Andhra Pradesh govt led by father | Political Pulse Information

A supply inside the TDP instructed The Indian Specific that a lot of the vital selections are nonetheless taken by Naidu himself. “Nonetheless, if Lokesh takes any resolution, the CM doesn’t intervene with it,” the supply stated.

Even within the run-up to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Meeting polls within the state earlier this yr, indications of Lokesh assuming a extra assertive function have been clear as he launched into his Yuva Galam (voice of the youth) padyatra in January in a bid to drum up assist for the TDP.

Lokesh’s second of reckoning had are available September 2023 after Naidu was arrested in reference to the alleged Andhra Pradesh Ability Growth rip-off. Lokesh quickly paused his padyatra and held fort on the bottom whereas making journeys to Delhi to make sure his father’s launch. “Lokesh and his mom (Nara Bhuvaneshwari) made positive the cadre was motivated and the celebration operated easily whereas our chief was in jail for 53 days,” a TDP chief in Vijayawada instructed The Indian Specific.

After the TDP-led alliance stormed to energy, profitable 164 of the 175 Meeting seats and 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, Lokesh was inducted into the Cupboard and given cost of key portfolios like Human Assets, IT, and Electronics and Communication.

Sources stated after industrialist Gautam Adani was indicted within the US and accused of paying over $250 million as bribes to Indian officers, together with to a “excessive rating official” from Andhra, to safe energy provide contracts, Lokesh was instrumental in ordering a probe into the earlier YSR Congress Get together (YSRCP) authorities’s cope with Adani Inexperienced.

Even in the course of the current bypolls to a few Rajya Sabha seats, necessitated by the resignation of YSRCP MPs, Lokesh appears to have had his approach. He overruled JanaSena Get together (JSP) chief Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who was eager on sending his brother Nagendra Babu to the Higher Home, and as a substitute zeroed in on controversial businessman Sathish Babu Sana.

Regardless of being on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in reference to a cash laundering case associated to controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, Sana’s “assist” whereas Naidu was in jail prompted Lokesh to push for his case, sources stated. “The celebration was weak throughout that point and there was nobody to assist. Sana was instrumental in advising what might be achieved to get Naidu out of jail,” a TDP supply stated.

Nonetheless, ruling out Kalyan’s brother had its penalties as Nagendra Babu was inducted into the state Cupboard. However, as per a TDP supply, this additionally may fit in Lokesh’s favour. “Kalyan (a Kapu himself) at the moment has 4 rising Kapu leaders by his facet and none from different castes. This proves the JSP is a celebration of Kapus.” Kapus, numerically the biggest neighborhood within the state, and Kammas (the neighborhood which Lokesh belongs to) are seen to be at loggerheads and are seen to vote for the JSP and TDP, respectively.

One other supply inside the TDP stated Kalyan has been rising in stature in Andhra whereas the highest BJP management, together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seemingly “favours” him. Proof to this was Modi sharing a heartfelt second with Kalyan’s brother and Telugu actor Chiranjeevi in the course of the swearing-in ceremony in June in addition to Kalyan rising as a key determine in forging the tripartite alliance between the BJP, JSP and TDP forward of the simultaneous polls.

“Since coming to energy, Kalyan has been projecting a staunch Hindutva persona and in the course of the controversy that broke out over the Tirupati laddu, proclaimed he would additionally lay down in his life to guard Sanatana Dharma. Lokesh wished to place a brake to Kalyan’s rising affect by stressing that the Deputy CM nonetheless leads a Kapu celebration,” the supply stated.

In accordance with sources, Lokesh has additionally saved a number of senior leaders “away from the Cupboard” in his bid to stake declare to his father’s legacy. As an example, MLC and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu did not discover a place within the Naidu Cupboard. Equally, leaders like Vijayawada West MLA and former Union minister Sujana Chowdary, who was one among the many 4 TDP Rajya Sabha MPs to hitch the BJP in 2019, did not make the minimize. “Lokesh has a binary outlook. You might be both his man or not. Therefore many senior leaders didn’t make the minimize. Additionally, Lokesh is making an attempt to maintain the Cupboard younger as he is likely one of the solely few ministers to get a second time period,” the supply stated.

Extra not too long ago, Lokesh is believed to have pushed for IAS officer Ok Vijayanand to be appointed because the Chief Secretary of the state, preferring him over six different senior directors, together with G Sai Prasad, who had earlier labored along with his father within the Chief Minister’s Workplace (CMO). “Vijayanand obtained the nod as he had constructed a rapport with Lokesh between 2014 and 2019. Moreover, the IAS officer has served because the particular chief secretary within the Vitality Division of a state the place power is a key useful resource,” a TDP supply stated, at the same time as one other supply stated Lokesh wished to offer a social justice push by appointing an officer from the Backward Lessons (BC) to the put up.

A political observer near the TDP stated Lokesh’s calculations of assuming a extra assertive function within the state’s politics stem from the idea that Naidu, who’s already 74 years outdated, will move the baton to him sometime. “He additionally must make it possible for he will get a shot on the CM’s chair, particularly with Kalyan having the potential to stake declare to the put up with the BJP’s assist,” the observer stated.

Nonetheless, the street forward could also be robust for the TDP chief. As a supply identified, Lokesh wouldn’t be accepted like his father with out changing into a mass chief. “Past simply resolution making, he ought to work in direction of that,” the observer stated.