Who is Nara Lokesh, the MBA from Stanford, behind TDP’s resurgence in Andhra Pradesh?

TDP's Nara Lokesh obtained the principle Mangalagiri Assembly constituency with an awesome margin. Image Courtesy: X/@naralokesh

Nara Lokesh, son of Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, took oath as a minister in the remark authorities. The swearing-in ceremony of the brand new CM and his Council of Ministers turned into as soon as held on 12 June at Kesarapalli IT Park near Gannavaram Airport on the outskirts of Vijayawada.

Lokesh, 41, is anticipated to be inducted into Naidu ’s Cupboard. A senior TDP chief suggested Businessline final week that Naidu’s son would maybe be “would maybe be given a key portfolio in to find of his contribution to the occasion coming befriend to vitality and also growing its recognition”.

Who's Nara Lokesh? How did he fabricate a turnaround in Andhra politics?

Nara Lokesh

Nara Lokesh, the TDP traditional secretary, accomplished his MBA from Stanford University.

He turned into as soon as elected as a member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in 2017. Lokesh served as the IT minister in the final TDP authorities (2014-19). He also held the Panchayati Raj and Rural Pattern portfolios in the Naidu Cupboard between 2017 and 2019.

Lokesh’s induction had sparked criticism as he turned into as soon as no longer with out lengthen elected by the of us however turned into as soon as a member of the Legislative Council, renowned India This day.

Within the 2019 Assembly elections, Lokesh misplaced from the Mangalagiri constituency to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Occasion (YSRCP) candidate Alla Rama Krishna Reddy by a margin of 5,700 votes.

That year, the YSRCP ousted the TDP from vitality, a success 151 of 175 Assembly seats. Naidu’s occasion turned into as soon as diminished to factual 23 Assembly seats and three Lok Sabha seats.

Nara Lokesh’s comeback in Andhra politics

Lokesh is being credited for the TDP’s resurgence in Andhra Pradesh.

No matter being defeated in the Mangalagiri Assembly seat in 2019, Naidu’s son continued his work in the constituency and won the general public’s believe, as per The News Minute (TNM) picture.

And his dedication has borne fruits. He obtained the seat by a margin of 91,413 votes – the best margin in the remark, defeating YRSCP’s M Lavanya.

With his triumph, the TDP obtained the principle Mangalagiri seat for the predominant time after almost four decades.

In 1985, TDP’s Koteswara Rao had bagged the constituency when occasion founder NT Rama Rao turned into as soon as the remark’s chief minister. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Mangalagiri seat turned into as soon as held by the Congress and later by the YSR Congress occasion, reported TNM.

మంగళగిరి నియోజకవర్గం ఆత్మకూరు, ఇప్పటం, వడ్డేశ్వరం గ్రామాల్లో నిర్వహించిన రచ్చబండ కార్యక్రమాల్లో పాల్గొన్నాను. గ్రామాల్లో ప్రజలు ఎదుర్కొంటున్న అనేక సమస్యలు నా దృష్టికి తీసుకువచ్చారు. వైసిపి ప్రభుత్వం అన్యాయంగా పేదల ఇల్లు కూల్చిందని ఆవేదన వ్యక్తం చేశారు. ప్రజా ప్రభుత్వం ఏర్పడిన… pic.twitter.com/tHrgDOtDGw— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) May 10, 2024

Not factual Lokesh, however the TDP, which formed a pre-pollalliance with Pawan Kalyan’s JanaSena Occasion (JSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP), returned with a thumping mandate in the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra.

The TDP clinched 135 of the 175 Assembly seats. Kalyan’s JSP obtained all 21 Assembly segments it contested and the BJP secured eight seats. The YSRCP turned into as soon as diminished to 11 Assembly seats.

Within the Lok Sabha polls, Naidu’s TDP obtained 16 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra, whereas the YSRCP obtained factual four. The BJP bagged three and the JSP the final two.

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Nara Lokesh’s role in TDP victory

Political analysts attribute several factors to the TDP’s outstanding comeback in Andhra Pradesh, in conjunction with the tie-up with the BJP and JSP.

The anti-incumbency sentiment against Jagan Mohan Reddy’s authorities labored in favour of the TDP alliance which consolidated the anti-YSRCP votes.

Lokesh’s role in the TDP storming to vitality in Andhra can not be misplaced sight of. His over 3,000-km padyatra “Yuva Galam” rebranded his image, consultants yell.

Lokesh kickstarted his 400-day foot march from Kuppam to Srikakulam in January final year.  His associates suggested Indian Explicit that the yatra turned into as soon as “a studying and a Stanford moment” for Lokesh.

In accordance to an India This day portion, the padyatra facilitated Lokesh to contain interaction with the general public, hear to their grievances and dispute his occasion’s insurance policies and targets. “All thru the Yatra, every time a particular person spelt out the issues she/he confronted, Lokesh would keenly jot them down on a portion of paper,” the portion added.

Talking to Indian Explicit, the Mangalagiri MLA said, “My padayatra modified me basically as a particular person and made me humbler and grounded, and desperate to assist of us”.

As per senior journalist TS Sudhir’s thought portion for India This day, Yuva Galam padyatra helped transform Lokesh’s image in the general public, factual fancy Bharat Jodo Yatra did for Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Sooner than embarking on the padyatra, Lokesh had ensured a a success membership force, in conjunction with lakhs to the TDP ranks, with the serve of digital abilities. As per India This day, this feat no longer simplest “cemented Nara Lokesh as an efficient political organiser however also demonstrated his skill to leverage abilities for political mobilisation.”

Lokesh’s greatest strive against came final September when his father and TDP chief Naidu turned into as soon as arrested in an alleged AP Skill Pattern Corporation scam.

He rose to the project, halted his yatra, and took over the reins of the occasion, renowned India This day. It turned into as soon as Lokesh who kept the TDP flock together amid uncertainty over Naidu’s future ahead of elections.

“Lokesh knocked on all doorways – from Andhra to Delhi – to be sure his father’s free up. Those were sophisticated times however he held the occasion together,” a senior TDP chief suggested Indian Explicit.

After Naidu walked out of penal advanced in October, Lokesh resumed his padyatra. In accordance to India This day, it turned into as soon as then that he turned into as soon as also acknowledged as “No. 2 in the TDP”.

Because the TDP has emerged as a key participant in nationwide politics by bagging the 2d-best doubtless preference of seats among the many National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies after the BJP, the occasion has made up our minds to entrust Lokesh with some essential responsibilities in the remark as he's viewed as an “accessible” face to the general public, reported Indian Explicit.

Now, the TDP has the process of taking its allies the BJP and JSP alongside whereas gratifying its pollguarantees. Lokesh suggested PTI that his occasion has offered “unconditional strengthen” to the BJP-led  NDA, in conjunction with that the TDP will like a “symbiotic relationship” with the Centre.

Lokesh, who turned into as soon as as soon as mocked as ‘Andhra Pappu’, has forced his critics to lift their tongues with the TDP’s big victory and his upward thrust as a seasoned flesh presser.

With inputs from agencies