It appears the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh seems to be systematically undertaking image-building exercise by planting stories in the local and national media highlighting chief minister N Chandababu Naidu and his son, IT minister Nara Lokesh.
The other day, Reuters carried a report projecting Naidu and even his son Lokesh as the prospective Prime Ministerial candidates, in the event of Narendra Modi stepping down in 2029 in tune with the BJP policy.
Other media houses like Times Now, The Hindu and NDTV sought to project Naidu and Lokesh as influential national leaders. The latest in this series is the cover story in The Week magazine featuring Lokesh.
Titled “SPEED OF DOING BUSINESS,” the story says: “Trained at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon, IT minister Nara Lokesh is transforming Andhra Pradesh the way his father, Chandrababu Naidu, transformed Hyderabad.”
On Thursday, the government issued a statement welcoming The Week report for placing Lokesh in the company of senior national and international political figures and said the cover story was a recognition of Andhra Pradesh’s “national significance” and “reform-oriented leadership.”
The Week issue also carries an article by Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman of Ashok Leyland, titled “Why the Industry Trusts Nara Lokesh,” praising the minister’s consultative approach and execution capabilities.
The Andhra Pradesh government highlighted this article in its statement, describing it as proof of growing investor confidence in the state’s leadership.
The statement described The Week as “one of India’s most respected and influential news magazines” and highlighted that its covers have featured leaders such as Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Lokesh’s inclusion among this list, the statement said, “underscores the national significance of Andhra Pradesh’s governance and reform agenda.”
The statement further linked Lokesh’s profile to the legacy of Chandrababu Naidu, describing it as a continuation of “reform, institutional credibility, and long-term vision” adapted to a “rapidly changing global economy.”
In recent months, national media outlets have portrayed Naidu as a key player in coalition politics at the Centre.
Business publications have run profiles projecting Lokesh as an industry-friendly reformer.
International platforms, including the Reuters, have carried stories speculating on Naidu or Lokesh as potential successors to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Political analysts say such stories point to a structured image-building exercise.
“This is definitely not the magazine’s own initiative. It indicates sustained briefing, access management and strategic pitching,” said a senior political analyst based in Delhi.
Once a publication says it, it gets recycled across Indian media and social platforms.
“It becomes a perception multiplier,” said a senior journalist who tracks political communication strategies.
Naidu has historically invested in international visibility, from global investor summits to high-profile engagements in Silicon Valley, and the current wave of coverage is being seen as a continuation of that approach.