The TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu looks desperate, particularly after the humiliating defeat in the 2019 general elections.
Chandrababu Naidu, unlike his defeat in 2004 and 2009, is on disadvantage this time as the age is running out and son Lokesh is not able to catch up the speed to match Jaganmohan Reddy.
When he lost the two consecutive elections in 2004 and 2009, Chandrababu Naidu did not worry much as he could think of future because of his age.
He pinned all his hopes of ensuring smooth and successful succession of his son while he returns to power.
In 2014, when he returned to power after a gap of 10 years, he started laying the road for his son Lokesh and had made him a Cabinet Minister.
It was for his son that Chandrababu Naidu had discouraged second line leadership in the party. It was for Lokesh, the TDP chief had kept Junior NTR at a distance from the party.
Naidu did not even like Brahmani to become active in politics, fearing that she might surpass his son Lokesh in the party.
With fears of younger generations dominating his son, Chandrababu Naidu never allowed any leader to be active and had killed the second line leadership in the party.
Now he is desperately looking for the younger generations to come back to the forefront and protect his son.
He met the youth from the state the other day and had interacted with them and perhaps sought their support to his son, projecting Lokesh as the future leader of the party.
Naidu must have done this exercise long before to ensure safe ground for Lokesh or to keep the party active and vibrant. There are no leaders in the party next to the top leader.
Those were the days when leaders like Lal Jan Basha, Yerran Naidu, Devender Gowd toped the list standing next only to Chandrababu Naidu.
But, over the years, that top leaders were not allowed to grow and Naidu did not allow any of them to rise to the top level. This is the reason why the party is plagued or inflicted with leadership crisis.
It is good, at least now, Chandrababu Naidu realized that the party needed younger generation to lead, to provide leadership cover to his unsuccessful son Lokesh.
It is to be seen if they would be able to grow bigger in the party as Lokesh looks on.
