TDP leadership prefers young blood, changes style of functioning

Anantapur : The TDP top leadership true to the indication given earlier, has embarked on a new style of functioning and new thinking, under which most of the senior leaders in the party including ex-ministers were set aside and young blood is preferred.

Most of the old faces were replaced with young ones in the State Cabinet, may be to make Nara Lokesh, the future party president comfortable. Lokesh has already made a mark in the selection of 2024 candidates for the posts of MLAs and MPs. He has already got his share of recommended candidates among the TDP legislators. In every district, Lokesh has his own people some of whom have now become MLAs.

In Anantapur district, Daggubati Venkatesh Prasad is identified as Lokesh’s man. Because of his intervention, Prabhakar Chowdary had been sidelined.

In the undivided district, senior leaders including Kalava Srinivasulu and Paritala Sunitha were denied ministeriel positions while other senior leaders like Palle Raghunatha Reddy, Hanumantha Rai Choudhury and Prabhakar Chowdary were denied party tickets to contest as MLAs.

Party leaders on the condition of anonymity, told The Hans India that they strongly believe that Naidu would step down after 3 years to catapult his son’s ascendancy to Chief Ministership and party presidentship.

That was the reason why young Turks have been made MLAs and Ministers. By 2029, the sources say that Naidu would be 80 years and before the fag end of his tenure, Lokesh would be established in a comfortable position with the support of his father-in-law N Balakrishna, even before anybody could challenge his authority.

The party senior leaders will not be ignored but would be accommodated in respectable positions either in the party or in nominated positions. Although a section of the seniors are upset, none of them want to be in the bad books of the Chief Minister or Nara Lokesh. Although initially upset, senior ex-ministers including Paritala Sunitha and Kalava Srinivas have visited the home of Finance minister Payyavula Keshav and congratulated him.

Senior TDP leaders who missed the berths of Ministers are coming to terms with the new realities and the picture emerging in favor of Nara Lokesh to take over the party leadership in future.