Nara Lokesh on Wednesday took oath as the National Working President of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). TDP National President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, administered oath to members of the new executive at the party headquarters at Mangalagiri.
Chandrababu Naidu administered the oath of office to the Politburo, as well as the National and State committees. The new bodies were announced on April 15. For the first time in the TDP’s history, the party has appointed a National Working President.
Lokesh, who handled the portfolio of human resources development, information technology and electronics, is already seen as the heir-apparent of Chandrababu Naidu and his appointment as National Working President has sent a clear message that the 43-year-old will be the political successor of the 76-year-old Naidu.
His promotion came nearly two years after the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in the state with a landslide majority. Lokesh’s elevation is seen as the reward for the key role he played in the party’s electoral success. The TDP leadership constituted the committees through a blend of both seasoned veterans and fresh faces.
For the first time in the party's history, leaders from the Mandal and Cluster levels have been included in the politburo. True to the party's slogan "The cadre is the leader", priority in the committees has been given to those who have actively dedicated themselves to the party's work.
The TDP said that even after 44 years, the leadership has appointed committees designed to give the party a fresh and revitalised image. The committee appointments were meticulously balanced, combining the seasoned guidance of senior leaders with the dynamic energy of their junior counterparts.
Mangalagiri cluster incharge Guthikonda Dhanunjay, and Gantyada Mandal party president Gantyada Sridevi have been included in the politburo. Senior leaders Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary continue to hold pivotal responsibilities a distinction they have maintained throughout the tenures of N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) and Chandrababu as party presidents, and now in the current committee under Lokesh's leadership as National Working President.
Chandrababu Naidu’s brother-in-law, actor and party MLA, N. Balakrishna, has also been retained as politburo member. Balakrishna, son of late NTR, is also the father-in-law of Lokesh. Individuals who have previously demonstrated active engagement in the party's social media initiatives were accorded positions within the committees. Before the swearing-in, Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh and other leaders paid tributes to the party's founding president, NTR.