The growing footprint of Nara Lokesh in Andhra Pradesh govt led by father

A source within the TDP told The Indian Express that most of the important decisions are still taken by Naidu himself. “However, if Lokesh takes any decision, the CM does not interfere with it,” the source said.

Even in the run-up to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state earlier this year, indications of Lokesh assuming a more assertive role were clear as he embarked on his Yuva Galam (voice of the youth) padyatra in January in a bid to drum up support for the TDP.

Lokesh’s moment of reckoning had come in September 2023 after Naidu was arrested in connection with the alleged Andhra Pradesh Skill Development scam. Lokesh temporarily paused his padyatra and held fort on the ground while making trips to Delhi to ensure his father’s release. “Lokesh and his mother (Nara Bhuvaneshwari) made sure the cadre was motivated and the party operated smoothly while our chief was in jail for 53 days,” a TDP leader in Vijayawada told The Indian Express.

After the TDP-led alliance stormed to power, winning 164 of the 175 Assembly seats and 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, Lokesh was inducted into the Cabinet and given charge of key portfolios like Human Resources, IT, and Electronics and Communication.

Sources said after industrialist Gautam Adani was indicted in the US and accused of paying over $250 million as bribes to Indian officials, including to a “high ranking official” from Andhra, to secure power supply contracts, Lokesh was instrumental in scrutinising the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government’s deal with Adani Green.

Even during the recent bypolls to three Rajya Sabha seats, necessitated by the resignation of YSRCP MPs, Lokesh seems to have had his way. He overruled JanaSena Party (JSP) chief Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who was keen on sending his brother Nagendra Babu to the Upper House, and instead zeroed in on controversial businessman Sathish Babu Sana.

Despite being on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, Sana’s “help” while Naidu was in jail prompted Lokesh to push for his case, sources said. “The party was weak during that time and there was no one to help. Sana was instrumental in advising what could be done to get Naidu out of prison,” a TDP source said.

However, ruling out Kalyan’s brother had its consequences as Nagendra Babu was inducted into the state Cabinet. But, as per a TDP source, this also may work in Lokesh’s favour. “Kalyan (a Kapu himself) currently has four emerging Kapu leaders by his side and none from other castes. This proves the JSP is a party of Kapus.” Kapus, numerically the largest community in the state, and Kammas (the community which Lokesh belongs to) are seen to be at loggerheads and are seen to vote for the JSP and TDP, respectively.

Another source within the TDP said Kalyan has been growing in stature in Andhra while the top BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seemingly “favours” him. Evidence to this was Modi sharing a heartfelt moment with Kalyan’s brother and Telugu actor Chiranjeevi during the swearing-in ceremony in June as well as Kalyan emerging as a key figure in forging the tripartite alliance between the BJP, JSP and TDP ahead of the simultaneous polls.

“Since coming to power, Kalyan has been projecting a staunch Hindutva persona and during the controversy that broke out over the Tirupati laddu, proclaimed he would also lay down in his life to protect Sanatana Dharma. Lokesh wanted to put a brake to Kalyan’s growing influence by stressing that the Deputy CM still leads a Kapu party,” the source said.

According to sources, Lokesh has also kept several senior leaders “away from the Cabinet” in his bid to stake claim to his father’s legacy. For instance, MLC and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu failed to find a place in the Naidu Cabinet. Similarly, leaders like Vijayawada West MLA and former Union minister Sujana Chowdary, who was one among the four TDP Rajya Sabha MPs to join the BJP in 2019, failed to make the cut. “Lokesh has a binary outlook. You are either his man or not. Hence many senior leaders did not make the cut. Also, Lokesh is trying to keep the Cabinet young as he is one of the only few ministers to get a second term,” the source said.

More recently, Lokesh is believed to have pushed for IAS officer K Vijayanand to be appointed as the Chief Secretary of the state, preferring him over six other senior administrators, including G Sai Prasad, who had earlier worked with his father in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). “Vijayanand got the nod as he had built a rapport with Lokesh between 2014 and 2019. Besides, the IAS officer has served as the special chief secretary in the Energy Department of a state where energy is a key resource,” a TDP source said, even as another source said Lokesh wanted to give a social justice push by appointing an officer from the Backward Classes (BC) to the post.

A political observer close to the TDP said Lokesh’s calculations of assuming a more assertive role in the state’s politics stem from the belief that Naidu, who is already 74 years old, will pass the baton to him someday. “He also needs to make sure that he gets a shot at the CM’s chair, especially with Kalyan having the potential to stake claim to the post with the BJP’s support,” the observer said.

However, the road ahead may be tough for the TDP leader. As a source pointed out, Lokesh would not be accepted like his father without becoming a mass leader. “Beyond just decision making, he should work towards that,” the observer said.