Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been toiling day and night even at the age of 69 to bring his party back to power for a second successive term in the state.
But his son 36-year old Nara Lokesh has just not been able to catch up with his father in either election strategies or in the campaigning.
Notwithstanding Naidu’s efforts to project Lokesh as his heir apparent, he has not been able to live up to the expectations of his father.
According to ground reports from Mangalagiri, the common voters have not been taking Lokesh seriously, though they are holding his father in high esteem.
Neither the campaign nor the speeches of Lokesh have been able to attract the voters. His lack of articulation, his fumbling at crucial stages of the campaign and his lack of connect with the people have made him a liability to Naidu and the TDP, rather than an asset.
“He is real pappu and a waste character. He doesn’t have any qualities of his father including the political skills and vision; so, people are not taking him seriously, let alone considering him as the future chief minister. In fact, the reports that Naidu might anoint him as the next chief minister, if the TDP comes back to power, are turning out to be negative for the party,” an analyst said.
Having said that, it would not mean Lokesh might lose the elections in Mangalagiri.
“He may win the Mangalagiri seat, but the credit will go only to Chandrababu Naidu. Since he is the CM’s son, the TDP leaders and cadre are taking enough care to see that Lokesh doesn’t lose the polls,” a party leader said.