After DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has recently elevated his minister-son Udaynidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister, AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is also said to be under pressure to elevate his minister-son Nara Lokesh also.
Already, Lokesh has been accorded commendable clout within the party and also in the government. He is being treated only next to his father. In all practical purposes he is enjoying clout more than Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.
Moreover, more than half of TDP MLAs are said to be selected by him. Sidelining established senior leaders of the party, in the name of encouraging youth several new entrants were crowned in the polls. Even among cabinet members, more than half of them were chosen by him, particularly those who entered the party just before elections.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is also giving prominence to Lokesh on par with Pawan Kalyan. It is known that in the cabinet meetings Chandrababu has been allotting a seat on one side to Pawan Kalyan and on the other side to Lokesh, ignoring senior ministers.
Apart from subjects related to his portfolios, in all key decisions senior officials are said to be consulting Lokesh’s point of view, besides his close associates directly giving `instructions’ to other ministers and also senior officials on various issues. Normally, only the Chief Minister enjoys such a prerogative.
The appointment of in-charge ministers for 26 districts also reflected Lokesh’s prominence in the cabinet. In the cabinet only two ministers are not appointed as in charge of any district. As expected, Lokesh will be in charge minister for Visakhapatnam, the financial capital of AP. But surprisingly, he is the only minister kept out from the list of in charge ministers.
The only other minister that was kept out of this list is Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan. This has made it clear that the Chief Minister has given indication that Lokesh is above all other ministers and enjoying a special privilege in the government.
A debate has started in the TDP circles whether this is a sign that Nara Lokesh is also going to become the Deputy Chief Minister soon?
