Telugu Desam Party general secretary and Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh on Monday took a dig at YSR Congress party chief and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, offering to buy him a ticket to watch the ICC T20 World Cup final if Team India qualifies.
Speaking informally during a media interaction, Lokesh said he would definitely attend the final if India reached it, citing both patriotism and his interest in cricket. In a satirical remark, he said that if Jagan Mohan Reddy wished to attend the final, he would personally arrange a ticket for him as well.
Lokesh recently travelled to Colombo to watch the high-profile India–Pakistan match at the Premadasa Stadium as part of the T20 World Cup. Large numbers of spectators attended the match, and the minister was among those present in the stadium.
Soon after, on February 16, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates visited Amaravati. Lokesh reportedly returned overnight to Gannavaram to receive Gates and later travelled to New Delhi for an official programme.
The YSR Congress Party has criticised Lokesh’s foreign visit, alleging misuse of public funds and questioning the necessity of his travel. Lokesh clarified that he had gone to Sri Lanka and watched the cricket match at his personal expense and had not wasted any public money.