TDP urges Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh to contest for MLC seat, Oppn calls it 'shortcut'

Members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politburo proposed on Sunday that Nara Lokesh, CM Chandrababu Naidu’s son, run for the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections.

The TDP suggested that Lokesh contest for an MLC seat in the State Legislative Council under the MLA quota.

The politburo members presented the proposal during a meeting at the CM’s residence in Undavalli, where they requested Naidu to select the candidates for the MLC elections, scheduled for March 20.

Lokesh is currently TDP general secretary, a post he holds from 2015. However he is not a member of either the Legislative Council or the Assembly.

It was reported that AP Chief Kala Venkat Rao who proposed Lokesh’s name for the seat with the support of the other party members.

Lokesh thanked the party members for their support and tweeted:

“Heartfelt thanks to TDP Politburo for believing in my capabilities & proposing my name as MLC. It is an opportunity to serve people closely(sic).”

However, the Opposition has criticised him saying that he was vying for “shortcut” to a ministerial post.

"TDP is trying to project Lokesh as the heir to party. If so, then he should get elected by the people. Even people like KTR or Akhilesh Yadav, they fought elections. The message is clear that they are scared to face people. Ruling TDP has picked wrong route for Lokesh, in his first step in democratic process,” YSRCP state secretary Rajiv Krishna told Sakshi Khanna for CNN News18.

Lokesh had expressed political ambitions earlier as well and has been participating actively in party proceedings.

In various press meets he had said that he was ready to do whatever “the party/high command directs.”

Incidentally, Naidu also held the general secretary post during the tenure of former Chief Minister and TDP founder NT Rama Rao.