Everyone is aware that Nara Lokesh has played a crucial role in selection of candidates in the present elections and many expect that if TDP forms the next government he will be assigned a key ministry in his father Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet.
But surprising everyone, former TDP MLC Buddha Venkanna, who is said to be close to Lokesh came up with a novel idea of handing over party responsibility to Lokesh. Though he confined of suggesting that Lokesh should be made as Andhra Pradesh unit president, his tone makes it clear that the entire party should be handed over to him.
Presently, TDP is mostly confined to Andhra Pradesh and it is practically keeping silent in Telangana and failed to prove its presence politically in states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where Chandrababu expected to build the party after declaring it as a `national party’.
Venkanna also said that Lokesh should take charge of the party on the day Chandrababu’s swearing in ceremony as Chief Minister. His comments suggest that hereafter Chandrababu should confine to the government and Lokesh should look after party affairs.
He also indicated the present TDP chief in AP Atchannaidu will be included in the new cabinet. After his 3132 days of padayatra for 286 days, Venkanna said that Lokesh succeeded in winning the affection of millions of Telugu people and also emerged as an icon of `Youth Power’.
Till now Chandrababu almost single handedly ran party affairs. But these elections have witnessed that besides Lokesh, his mother Bhuvaneswari and to some extent his wife Brahmani also took active part in the campaign.
Already Lokesh played a decisive role in selection of a large number of candidates, particularly selecting children of several senior TDP leaders, giving almost rest to senior leaders. This reflects his desire for a `generation change’ in the party. This change is also likely to be reflected in the formation of a new cabinet, if TDP wins in the polls.
Many senior TDP leaders, who have been associated with Chandrababu Naidu since decades are likely to be kept away from the new cabinet formation, giving way to new generation leaders, particularly youth. Venkanna’s suggestion of handing over party affairs to Lokesh indicates his desire that youth should play key roles both in the government and also in the party in the coming days.
