If the reports coming from the Telugu Desam Party sources are believed, the security cover of Nara Lokesh, TDP general secretary and son of party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has been reduced.
According to these sources, the security cover of Lokesh was reduced from Y plus category to X category, which is provided to individuals with the lowest threat.
He will now be having only one personal security officer along with two security personnel.
Before 2014 elections, Lokesh, being the son of the leader of opposition, was provided with 2 plus 2 security cover.
After the TDP came to power, he was given 4 plus 4 security cover which was continued after he became an MLC and minister in the Naidu cabinet in 2017.
However, in 2018, the security cover to Lokesh was upgraded to Z category after the killing of a TDP MLA in the Maoist attack.
The Z category entails two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and one escort car, besides a security cover of 22 personnel including a pilot.
When Naidu lost the elections and YSRC came to power, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government reduced the security cover of Lokesh was reduced from Z category to Y plus category which entails 2 PSOs with a security cover of 11 personnel but without an escort car.
The TDP sources alleged that the reduction in security cover to Lokesh was part of the overall strategy to weaken him politically and drive him out of politics ultimately.
However, the police sources say the decision was taken after reviewing the threat perception to Lokesh, which is done from time to time.
