Senior TDP leaders one after other rallying behind the proposal of elevating Minister Nara Lokesh as Deputy Chief Minister is likely to disturb the bondage between TDP and Jana Sena. This move is reportedly aimed at boosting Lokesh’s political profile to rival that of Pawan Kalyan, the Jana Sena Party’s chief, who has been emerging as a key figure in the ruling coalition.
All of a sudden for three days many TDP key leaders are coming out with this proposal. Speculations within the TDP are spreading that Nara Lokesh may be made Deputy CM and he may also be handed over the Revenue Department.
Everyone became alarmed and took up this issue soon after TDP polit bureau member R Srinivasa Reddy raised this issue in the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at an official program in Maidakur of YSR district. Many felt that it was raised as a strategy with the approval of the Chief Minister himself.
Many are recalling that it was normal practice for Chandrababu Naidu to spread some proposals among party cadres and also people, before he finally took a key decision. Later it was followed by another Politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy. He was joined by Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishnam Raju, TDP spokespersons Syed Rafi, SVSN Verma and many others.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister while being quiet towards such demands while in Amaravati, after his departure to Davos, the party’s central office called TDP spokespersons asking them not to speak on this issue. The TDP high command stated that the leaders of the alliance parties will sit down and talk about any issue. It seems party leadership realized that this has sent wrong signals to alliance partners.
Moreover, even in Davos in the presence of the Chief Minister only, Industries Minister TG Bharath went ahead and declared that Lokesh will be future Chief Minister of the state. Later, Chandrababu was forced to snub him for making such `tall claims’.
However, the move has stirred discussions within the alliance, which includes the BJP and Jana Sena, who are maintaining silence over this move. Jana Sena leaders are making it clear that any move to appoint another Deputy Chief Minister will certainly destabilize the mutually accepted `power structure’ among alliance parties.
Moreover, BJP circles are of the view that in the case of such a move, their party representative will also be appointed as Deputy CM, emphasizing the coalition’s multi-party nature. Such a development will certainly shift the political balance, potentially reducing the spotlight on Pawan Kalyan’s position within the alliance.
However, Jana Sena circles argue that Pawan Kalyan’s leadership was instrumental in bringing the BJP into the alliance and ensuring electoral victories for its candidates during the 2024 elections. They are even suspecting that this strategy was part of Chandrababu Naidu’s long-term strategy to elevate Lokesh as Chief Minister of the state ahead of next general elections.
Anyhow, the present row over `Deputy Chief Minister’ raises concerns over a potential clash of influence between Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan, leading to an uneasy political equation within the coalition.
Some observers are likening the unfolding political drama in Andhra Pradesh to the power struggles within the coalition partners. As the political landscape evolves, the tug-of-war for influence in the state continues to intensify, leaving the future dynamics of the alliance uncertain.