The meeting reflects both the Telugu Desam Party’s leverage within the National Democratic Alliance and the state government’s effort to secure central support for key development initiatives.
Published Sep 05, 2025 | 6:53 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 05, 2025 | 6:53 PM
The TDP holds parliamentary strength critical for the NDA’s stability.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh’s IT and Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 5 September, for the second time in recent months, reportedly to discuss central support for the state’s IT, education and governance initiatives. The frequent meetings are being viewed as a sign of the Telugu Desam Party’s growing prominence within the BJP-led NDA, as the TDP seeks to secure greater central backing for its ambitious development projects in the state.
Andhra Pradesh’s IT and Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, 5 September. Discussions reportedly covered IT growth, education reforms and real-time governance.
With over 246 IT companies employing 70,000 professionals, Andhra Pradesh is attempting to position itself as a technology hub, pitching these priorities as part of the Centre’s Vikasit Bharat 2047 vision and framing them as mutually beneficial.
The interaction comes a few months after Modi unveiled Yuvagalam – a coffee-table book documenting Lokesh’s 226-day padayatra prior to the 2024 general elections – at a May 2025 event that also featured a warm interaction with the Naidu family.
The meeting reflects both the Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) leverage within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance and the state government’s effort to secure central support for key development initiatives.
The TDP, under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, holds parliamentary strength critical for the NDA’s stability. Lokesh’s latest meeting was therefore seen as part of ongoing efforts to ensure Andhra Pradesh’s concerns are factored into central policy.
Political observers saw the prime minister’s earlier meet with Lokesh as an acknowledgment of the TDP’s electoral performance and a signal that the party remains an important ally for the BJP at the Centre.
The political subtext is not lost on rivals. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) has criticised the TDP for using frequent interactions with Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to project influence, accusing the party of relying on “photo opportunities” rather than pressing demands.
But within Andhra Pradesh, visible central backing often carries electoral weight, which Lokesh, with the support of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is seeking to build.
For Naidu’s government, the challenge is to rebuild the state after years of bifurcation-related strain and fiscal stress. Investments in infrastructure, IT and education remain critical.
Whether the Centre’s assurances translate into tangible support will determine the success of these engagements.
Lokesh’s meetings with the Prime Minister and other NDA leaders are interpreted by analysts less as a personal elevation and more as part of the TDP’s strategy to consolidate its role in the coalition and channel resources into the state’s economy.
Furthermore, it is seen as part of Lokesh, who won the Mangalagiri seat in 2024 after a high-profile padayatra, seeking to shed earlier perceptions of inexperience.
At the Friday meeting, Lokesh also presented Modi with another coffee-table book, this time on Yogandhra celebrations held in Visakhapatnam in June.
The IT Minister is also said to have endorsed the Centre’s recent GST reforms, even though they could cost the state exchequer about ₹1,000 crore annually.
The state cabinet on Thursday praised the GST reforms for their potential to benefit the poor and MSMEs, though some analysts suggest this may also be a way of nudging the Centre for compensation.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
