Nara Lokesh is widely seen as the heir to the TDP, a party holding a 40 percent vote share. Lokesh nurtures aspirations of becoming the Chief Minister when the opportunity arises.
However, within the TDP ranks, there is a growing unease about Lokesh's acknowledgment of Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena leadership, which commands a 6 percent vote share.
This development during Lokesh's Yuvagalam Padayatra raises concerns that the TDP might be steering towards political self-destruction.
Currently conducting his padayatra in the Godavari districts, an area where Pawan Kalyan wields significant influence, Lokesh must consider the perspectives of other social classes and devise political strategies accordingly.
It appears that Lokesh, during his journey through these districts, has received directives from party leaders, with suggestions that praising Pawan could secure Kapu votes.
Notably, by treating Pawan as an equal to Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP seems to have underestimated the potential threat, akin to placing their heads under the hands of Bhasmasura.
Equating Pawan Kalyan with Chandrababu Naidu indicates a failure to recognize the future threat posed by Pawan's political acumen.
Jana Sena leaders assert that their leader is on par with Babu and demand a larger share of seats as well as a share in power. There is a looming concern that they might advocate for Pawan's rule as CM for half of the five years, asserting that TDP has no future without him.
Pawan Kalyan has emphasized that TDP is weak, and TDP leaders should be mindful of this fact. It is perilous for the TDP to project an image of prioritizing Pawan over its own strength.
Furthermore, Lokesh's praise for Pawan's leadership may have led to the perception that the young leader is lowering his own standing.
It is noteworthy that while Pawan commended Prime Minister Modi's leadership, he refrained from praising Chandrababu's leadership in recent times. The question arises as to why this observation is absent in TDP's top leadership.
Consequently, there is growing dissatisfaction within TDP ranks regarding Lokesh's approach towards Pawan.
