Andhra Minister Predicts Nara Lokesh as Future Chief Minister

Amaravati, January 20 (NationPress) The Industry Minister of Andhra Pradesh, T. G. Bharath, announced on Monday that the current IT and Education Minister, Nara Lokesh, is destined to become the Chief Minister of the state in the future.

“Whether it’s agreeable or not, Lokesh garu represents the future. He is set to take on the role of Chief Minister,” Bharath stated while addressing the Telugu Diaspora in Zurich, alongside Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Nara Lokesh.

Bharath and Lokesh are part of the delegation led by Naidu at the annual summit of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Industry Minister commended Lokesh as a young, well-educated leader.

“Among the 175 MLAs and 25 MPs, no one else has studied at Stanford,” he remarked.

Bharath emphasized that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has a clear, long-term vision for its future. His comments come even as the TDP has instructed its leaders in Andhra Pradesh not to publicly express their support for elevating Lokesh to the position of Deputy Chief Minister.

The party leadership has issued these guidelines amid increasing calls from TDP leaders to promote the general secretary, Lokesh, to the Deputy Chief Minister role. The TDP has clarified that any decisions will involve discussions with coalition leaders.

The TDP is currently in charge of the ruling coalition, which includes Jana Sena and the BJP as partners. At present, the Deputy Chief Minister position is held by Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan.

During his speech to the Telugu Diaspora in Zurich, Chief Minister Naidu expressed his gratitude for being born into the Telugu community.

“If I have a second birth, I would be delighted to be born as a child of Telugu. My heart will always long for the Telugu community, no matter where I go,” Naidu reflected.

He maintained that encouraging youth to enter politics is vital for a nation’s development.

Naidu further commented that a politician who amasses wealth will not earn respect.

“In my political career, my wife manages our business, while Nara Lokesh’s wife, Brahmani, handles their business interests. My goal is for the Telugu community to reach the top position by 2047,” the Chief Minister stated.

Previously, as calls for Lokesh’s promotion to Deputy Chief Minister grew, the TDP instructed its leaders to avoid making public statements on the matter.

Leaders were advised not to express personal opinions, with the coalition leaders set to discuss and determine the decisions to be made.

During a meeting in Mydukur, located in YSR Kadapa district on January 18, TDP politburo member Srinivas Reddy urged Chief Minister Naidu to elevate Lokesh to Deputy Chief Minister.

Following this, numerous leaders voiced their support for this request.

Lokesh, son of Chandrababu Naidu, serves as the Minister for Information Technology, Electronics, and Education, in addition to being the national general secretary of the party.

Senior leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, former MLA S.V.S.S. Varma, Rajahmundry Urban MLA Adireddy Vasu, and others have publicly advocated for Lokesh’s appointment as Deputy Chief Minister.

The push for Lokesh's promotion to Deputy Chief Minister takes on added significance given the sentiment among some TDP leaders that Pawan Kalyan is positioning himself as the second most influential figure in the government after Chief Minister Naidu.

Some TDP members have expressed discontent regarding certain actions and statements made by Pawan Kalyan. They are eager to see Lokesh in the Deputy Chief Minister role as a counterbalance to the rising influence of the actor-politician.

To prevent the perception of discord within the ruling coalition, TDP leadership intervened to remind leaders not to publicly discuss this matter.

Supporters of Lokesh within the TDP are optimistic that Naidu will decide to promote him following discussions with BJP and Jana Sena leaders.