Former Minister Nara Lokesh is slowly increasing the dose of threatening language in his speeches these days. In his latest attack, he has warned that the TDP would peel off the skin of those YCP leaders who are daring to attack and murder the TDP activists and leaders. He repeatedly used the term ‘psycho Reddy’ to criticise Jagan. He warned the YCP leaders will face very serious hardships and they will have to pay back with multiple interests. Lokesh made these statements after calling on the family of a slain leader in Sattenapalli assembly segment.

Comparisons began to be made between the speeches of the TDP leader and Minister Kodali Nani who unleashed a damaging attack on Naidu on the issue of massive loans. Nani has used abusive and unprintable language. To that, some leaders other than Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh have already reacted in a very attacking manner. But their reactions did not get the spotlight that came to Kodali.

Analysts say that however much the TDP leaders were trying to beat Kodali and Anil Kumar, they were not able to create the impact that was expected. Lokesh is trying hard to sharpen the attack by using ‘psycho Reddy’, ‘peel off skin’, ‘cowardly CM’ and so on. Yet, there is a gap that cannot be filled. Lokesh is not able to use the sort of abusive language against the YCP Ministers. Whereas, it is beneath the level of Chandrababu Naidu to reciprocate that attack. Finally, the TDP is stepping up its language of threats while the YCP is using more abusive words.

Since the 2019 election, the YCP social media has been on the offensive. The aggressive campaign launched by the Jagan social media teams have given huge embarrassment to the TDP. It has gone to the extent that Chandrababu and Lokesh were found going on the defensive on many occasions. Even nearly two years after coming to power, the YCP is in the same attacking mode.

In the latest development, a video appeared on youtube in the name of Nara Lokesh. It has abusive content against the TDP MLC. Left with no alternative, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has made a formal complaint in the Mangalagiri police station urging for serious action against those responsible for uploading the ‘fake video’ in youtube. The party asserted that the video was aimed to taint the image of Nara Lokesh.

The TDP leaders complained that the fake video was uploaded under the hashtags – #YS Jagan, #YSRCP and #Newstoday Telugu. In a deliberate attempt to defame Mr. Lokesh, the miscreants have given the wrong video a highly objectionable title. The title ran as ‘once again call leak and Nara Lokesh booked in an inebriated condition’.

Telugu Yuvatha State President Gundlapalli Sriram Chinnababu, Telugu Yuvatha State leader Bandaru Vamsi Krishna and TNSF State President Manam Pranav Gopal have made the police complaint. They urged the Mangalagiri police to verify the facts and take deterrent action against the culprits.

Telugu Desam Party General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday condemned the arrest of party leader Kollu Ravindra and hit out at the YSR Congress government over its “oppression”.

Accusing state Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah of being behind the episode, he said: “I condemn the arrest of non-controversial common man Kollu Ravindra. A good CM will enjoy the state developing while an obstinate Chief Minister like Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will derive evil happiness from opposition leaders’ arrests.”

He asserted that neither Reddy nor Venkatramaiah can harm Ravindra, or his party.

“How much ever you try to oppress (it), the TDP will bounce back and continue its fight,” he said.

Lokesh also warned officials “playing to the tunes of YSRCP leaders drunk on power” to “prepare to eat food in prison with Reddy”.

Meanwhile, Ravindra, who subsequently secured bail from a local court, claimed that he was illegally arrested because he “questioned injustice”.

“When I went to exercise my franchise, they (the government) themselves created trouble. Police told me not to talk to the media and put me in house arrest, leading to me staying at home all of Wednesday,” the former minister said.

He said police arrived in the morning on Thursday after registering a case against him.

“Today is Shivaratri and I thought of going to the canal but I wasn’t allowed, depriving me from offering prayers to the gods. If they (police) ask me, I myself would come and answer but they have troubled me since morning,” he alleged.

He claimed that Reddy cannot last long with this police rule and vowed to take all the “crimes” of the ruling party to the people.

“We will definitely fight until we get justice. All these cases and troubles are temporary. Please remember what could happen in the future as well. Remember that tit for tat will always be there,” he warned YSRCP leaders.

There is rivalry in Machilipatnam between Ravindra and Venkatramaiah and a few months ago, Ravindra was arrested for alleged involvement in the murder of an aide of Venkatramaiah.

Getting bail later, he had again accused the Minister of targeting him.

Meanwhile, phone calls to the local SP and ASP to check why Ravindra was arrested went unanswered, though it is speculated that that the skirmishes involving him during the polls on Wednesday were the reason.

In an impassioned appeal to political rivals in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary and former minister Nara Lokesh called for “unity and one united voice while fighting for the states causes” at the national level.

“We will fight in the state politically, but when we go out, let us be with one voice. It is our state, we have to take care of our state,” appealed Lokesh at a fireside chat with youngsters in Vijayawada on Thursday.

The TDP general secretary said that he will stick to this one united voice idea and abide by it.

“As a former minister I have offered also, any help that I can do to promote Andhra Pradesh, I will always be there. Political apart, we will always work together,” Lokesh noted.

However, as a party, he said that they will continue to fight in the state.

A statewide bandh (strike) protesting Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatization is underway on Fridst. The YSRCP government in the state has endorsed the day-long bandh call.

Meanwhile, a youngster questioned Lokesh as to who is the IT minister in AP or if the state really has one?

“Is he (IT minister) doing any work in the state? What is he doing? Are any industries being brought to the state? We do not have any worthwhile industries in the state. We have only one steel plant which is also being privatized,” he lamented with Lokesh.

In reply, Lokesh mocked “if people do not ‘know’ who the IT minister was then what could he talk about”.

“God knows what the minister is doing. The steel plant is making losses because capacity addition has happened. When there is capacity enhancement, there will be losses for 4 – 5 years. It is common for heavy industries,” observed Lokesh.

He said it is a wrong move to privatize the steel plant which made profits for 15 years and losses for just four years.

TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu hit Kurnool roads on Thursday to campaign for the forthcoming urban local bodies elections.

He wore a Muslim cap to strike a chord with the minority community in the town while campaigning.

A degree studying girl was brutally murdered in Narasaraopet today. Out of jealousy that Kota Anush was talking to somebody else, one Vishnu Vardhan Reddy has allegedly attacked and killed her. Her family members and co students brought her body onto the road, held a rally and staged protests in the Palnadu town.

Amid this, TDP MLC Nara Lokesh wondered where ‘gun and Jagan’ were when this cruel atrocity took place in Narasaraopet. The YCP leaders boasted during the elections that their leader Jagan would arrive at the scene of any offence much before the gun in order to prevent the atrocities on women. But, the murderous attacks were continuing unabated.

Mr. Lokesh said that so many incidents took place but ‘neither Jagan nor gun’ arrived to save the victims. With empty words, the Jagan Reddy gangs have cheated and betrayed not just hapless women but all sections of society. Though blatant atrocities were taking place in front of everyone’s eyes, the Chief Minister was not being moved.
Lokesh advised the CM and his Ministers to leave their madness for publicity aside and start focusing on justice for the victims of atrocities. Those involved in the murder of Anush should be punished immediately.

Andhra Pradesh opposition leader and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday alleged that the arrests of some party leaders prove the cowardice of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

“The illegal arrests of TDP leaders is synonymous with Reddy’s cowardly acts. Because of the fear of defeat in panchayat elections, TDP leaders are being illegally arrested and put behind bars,” alleged Lokesh.

The TDP general secretary made these allegations in the light of the alleged arrest of former Denduluru MLA and firebrand TDP leader Chintamaneni Prabhakar.

Calling Prabhakar’s arrest illegal, Lokesh condemned the development.

Demanding his immediate release, Lokesh alleged that a dispute occurred between two parties at B. Singavaram but a false case was filed against a person who was not present there.

He warned that some policemen are allegedly behaving like they are wearing Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) uniform and issued a warning to them that they will reap the consequence.

Meanwhile, he referred to the just concluded third phase panchayat elections in the southern state and alleged that the YSRCP cadres have turned it into a battle.

However, he claimed that TDP weathered all those alleged atrocities to win the polls and called that TDP aligned candidates who won the election in these alleged trying conditions as a aBahubali’ each.

“Though TDP cadres won fewer victories in the face of Reddy’s power and the spectator role played by officials, these are the real victories,” claimed Lokesh.

TDP MLC Nara Lokesh expressed concern over the increasing irregularities by the YCP leaders in the three districts of North Andhra. The laterite mines in Visakha agency have been given away to the CM’s uncle Subba Reddy. Even the Machilipatnam port was being looted. Now, the Visakha Steel Plant’s costly lands were going to be sold as scrap to Jagan Reddy’s suitcase companies. The prime lands of the steel plant would now be taken over by the YCP leaders at very cheap rates.

Lokesh has demanded the Jaganmohan Reddy Government to oppose the privatisation of the prestigious Visakha Steel Plant which stood as a symbol of pride for the Andhras. He also demanded the ruling YCP to pass a resolution in the Assembly that the AP Government should buy the steel plant. When a similar situation arose, the Chhattisgarh Government passed a unanimous resolution in their Assembly to buy the Nagarnar Steel Plant.

Mr. Lokesh wrote a letter to Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, saying that the Visakha Steel was incurring losses only because it had no captive iron ore mines of its own. Hence, the YCP government should immediately seek the Centre to allot an iron ore mine exclusively for the Visakha Steel. There were projects that by 2032, this steel plant would stand as the largest steel producing company in the entire country.

Mr. Lokesh accused the Jaganmohan Reddy Government of doing historic injustice to the people of North Andhra by playing a ‘dubious role’ in the steel plant issue. It was yet another betrayal on the part of the ruling YCP leaders to set their sights on the steel plant’s costly lands. The steel plant was saved only after over 32 people had sacrificed their lives in a fierce agitation. During his tenure, former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu fought until the then Central Government withdrew such a privatisation move in 2000.

Mr. Nara Lokesh accused the Chief Minister of mortgaging the steel plant along with the Reorganisation promises for the sake of his personal benefits. Over 40,000 employees were dependent on the steel plant and lakhs of people were having indirect employment. When such a jewel-like project was put up for sale, the CM was not bothering to break his silence. Like this, one industry after another was being sold out under the Jagan regime pushing the State into a deep crisis.

Lokesh asked whether encroachment of forest lands and grabbing of hillsides were the sole purpose of the Capital shifting to Visakhapatnam. The Kakinada port has been given on a platter to Vijay Sai Reddy’s son-in-law as dowry. Both Jagan Reddy and Vijay Sai have now turned out to be ‘betrayers of North Andhra people’.