Ever since the Telugu Desam Party was defeated in the last assembly elections in the most humiliating manner in the hands of the YSR Congress party, there have been reports that the TDP workers are getting restive across the state.
While the TDP workers generally do not have any doubts over the leadership abilities of Naidu, they are not taking kindly his efforts to push his son Nara Lokesh as his successor.
Many of the party leaders like Vallabhaneni Vamsi, Devineni Avinash and even spokesperson Sadineni Yamini have left the TDP only because of Lokesh and his attitude.
The general consensus among the party leaders and cadre alike is that Lokesh not only does not have leadership qualities, but is also unfit to be a politician.
They are also strongly believing that the TDP would have fared better in the last assembly elections, had Naidu not promoted his son.
So, the question that is bothering the minds of the TDP workers is that what will happen to the party if Naidu turns too old to handle the party affairs and campaign in 2024. They are not prepared to accept Lokesh as their leader.
Under these circumstances, the party leaders have now started taking the name of popular actor Junior NTR as the right successor of Naidu in the party.
They are of the view that if NTR can be projected as the next chief ministerial candidate, the TDP will get a new lease of life and generate new confidence in the people as well as cadre.
It was evident from the way some enthusiastic TDP activists erected flex in the Prakasam district on the occasion of Sankranti festival inviting NTR into active politics and save the party from the brink of disaster.
The TDP activists, in the flex board, described NTR as the Young Tiger and the Chief Minister in 2024. Along with the Flexi, a photo of NTR sitting in CM's chair is going viral on social media.
Interestingly, the flex board does not have the picture of either Chandrababu Naidu or Lokesh. It remains to be seen how the senior batch of the TDP leaders will react to it.