It seems a growing force is building within the Telugu Desam Party for Nara Lokesh to become the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Several senior leaders of the party have spoken out in favour of Lokesh for this post, with names like Undi MLA and Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishna Raju floating around.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), senior TDP leader and Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy emphasized his support for the proposal, stating:
“Nara Lokesh is fully deserving of the Deputy Chief Minister position. I strongly back the proposal made by Politburo member R. Srinivasulu Reddy to appoint him. Lokesh has faced numerous political hurdles, yet through his leadership during the Yuvagalam Padayatra, he has demonstrated his strength and earned the trust of TDP workers and the people of Andhra Pradesh. I urge the TDP leadership to consider him for this important position.”
The proposal further gained momentum at the NTR death anniversary event in Maidukuru, YSR district, where Srinivasulu Reddy reiterated his support for Lokesh as the Deputy CM. This has become one of the hottest topics of discussion within the party, as it has generated widespread discussions among TDP members.
As of now, Pawan Kalyan is deputy chief minister of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet with Chandrababu Naidu being the Chief Minister. Whereas the party has taken Pawan Kalyan forward at official meetings, many ground-level leaders and workers are crying out for a promotion for Lokesh. Therefore, this very reason has divided the party over regional lines.
While all those, including media, analysts, and the general public, appreciate Lokesh, the top leadership of the TDP is yet to officially address the issue, giving more speculations about the next step of the party.