TPN Correspondent
Andhra Pradesh, Jan 17: Everybody knows that the total administration is under the control of Mr. Lokesh Nara unofficially. Though he is only one of the Ministers in the AP Cabinet under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, he is deciding the postings and appointments of officials, including police officers, as per the talk of Amaravati. As he led the party when there was no power and drove the party against the then CM Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, he is playing a major role after the party came to power. Even before the elections, he played a key role in deciding TDP’s candidates. Naturally, he has a strong grip over both the party and the government, which is run by the Alliance. One retired official stated, "Only policy-wise decisions are made by Mr. Naidu, but all execution parts—where, when, and who—are decided by Mr. Lokesh." It is clear that Lokesh is the successor of Mr. Naidu in TDP, and there is no doubt about it.
However, problems arise for Mr. Lokesh with Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s straight-forwardness. As Deputy CM, Mr. Pawan Kalyan continues to question officials’ failures directly. This is causing trouble for Mr. Lokesh, as many of those officials were appointed by him.
Law & Order Issue The first issue came when Mr. Pawan Kalyan questioned the police department’s failure to arrest culprits. His statement created a tremor within the alliance government. Many raised eyebrows, wondering how Mr. Pawan, part of the government, could make such a statement. However, Mr. Pawan clarified that he would question anyone if mistakes were made, which left no counterargument. As all police officials were appointed with Mr. Lokesh’s approval, this criticism hit him directly.
Ration Mafia Allegations Next, when Mr. Pawan Kalyan visited Kakinada Port and ordered the seizure of a ship, he raised concerns about the ration mafia. This also caused trouble for Mr. Lokesh, as many MLAs from the Alliance government, including Janasena, are allegedly involved in the ration mafia. Critics targeted Mr. Lokesh, accusing him of supporting such illegal activities. Mr. Pawan Kalyan even warned his own party MLAs to stop illegal activities, further drawing attention to Lokesh's alleged involvement.
Tirupati Stampede Incident Recently, the stampede at Tirupati revealed a lack of coordination between the EO, AEO, and Chairman of TTD. Mr. Pawan Kalyan openly questioned the lapse, countering TDP’s attempts to blame a DSP. TTD officials, appointed under Mr. Lokesh’s influence, were also criticized, leading to a clash between Pawan and Lokesh’s administration.
As these incidents unfolded, a discussion within the alliance grew. Some felt that Pawan’s openness could tarnish the government’s image, while keeping his own image clean. Rumors began that the Alliance might break due to these issues. Mr. Lokesh, however, denied these claims, blaming Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy for the rumors. But a video by Mahasena Rajesh, a close associate of Mr. Lokesh, proposed that Lokesh should become Deputy CM, putting pressure on Mr. Pawan Kalyan.
The government advertisement issued during Prime Minister Modi’s Visakhapatnam tour raised further questions. Along with Modi, photos of Naidu and Pawan Kalyan were published, but Lokesh's photo also appeared. Netizens questioned why Lokesh’s photo was included when figures like Purandeswari or Satya Kumar should have been featured. This fueled the demand for making Mr. Lokesh Deputy CM, but such a move could escalate tensions between TDP and Janasena, especially with BJP supporting Pawan Kalyan.
