Though both Congress and Telugu Desam Party are politically divergent groups, TDP supreme Chandrababu Naidu seems to be following in the foot-steps of Congress President Sonia Gandhi with regard to promoting his son Nara Lokesh as his `political successor’.
The very birth of TDP was on the foundation of anti-Congress politics. Its founder N T Rama Rao has even taken initiative at the national level to makes all non-Congress parties to come together forming National Front. It was his efforts led to the formation of V P Singh government at New Delhi, with the out-side support of ideologically divergent Left and BJP.
But, Chandrababu Naidu started his politics with Congress from his college days and even was minister in a Congress cabinet. N T Rama Rao might have inducted his son-in-laws into his cabinet, but never indicated any one of them as his `political successor’.
However, for the last few years Chandrababu Naidu has been promoting Lokesh to succeed him. Since 2009 polls, Lokesh has been intervening in selection of party candidates and looking after affairs of the party central office. First he was officially assigned the task of looking after welfare of the party workers.
Later he was made as party’s national general secretary and taking care of party affairs. It may be recalled that Rahul Gandhi was also first assigned the task of NSUI and Youth Congress and later was elevated as Vice President, four years ago. Like Rahul in Congress, Lokesh also monitoring internal party affairs.
Lokesh’s growing authority in the party was evident with the conduct of Parliamentary Party meeting under his presidentship, yesterday in Guntur. It was the first time that other than N T Rama Rao or Chandrababu Naidu, another leader presided such a crucial meeting. Seemingly Chandrababu Naidu has facilitated by keeping himself away from the meeting. After the meeting, the MPs were directed to meet the party president informally at his place.
This step was also looks on the lines of Sonia Gandhi’s strategies in promoting her son to take lead in crucial party meetings. In recent times, Rahul Gandhi only presiding Congress Working Committee and Parliamentary party meetings. TDP sources saying that this elevation of Lokesh indicating that he is going to take even more crucial responsibilities in the party and also government very soon.
