In the eyes of the people, Naidu remains the face of the NDA government but it's just that, as he began giving space, albeit behind the scenes, for Lokesh to call the shots.
Published Oct 25, 2025 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 25, 2025 | 11:00 AM
N Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh. (X)
Synopsis: The most controversial of all is the “informal” meeting of the Cabinet, Lokesh has been having at his residence for some months now. This meeting takes place over breakfast a few hours ahead of the formal Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Naidu. Officially, the 24-member Cabinet meets not less than three times a month and so does it as many times “informally”.
Is Nara Lokesh, projected as the “poster boy” for Andhra Pradesh, the “extra-constitutional face” of the NDA government in the State, handling almost all official business without holding the title of Chief Minister? Or is it a case of being “groomed” to eventually take over from his father and Chief Minister, 75-year-old Nara Chandrababu Naidu?
Tongues are wagging within the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its allies over how almost every important posting of officials, both IAS and IPS, as well as any policy decision relating to any department should pass his muster before its formally approved by the chief minister.
In the eyes of the people, Naidu remains the face of the NDA government but it’s just that, as he began giving space, albeit behind the scenes, for Lokesh to call the shots.
The most controversial of all is the “informal” meeting of the Cabinet, Lokesh has been having at his residence for some months now. This meeting takes place over breakfast a few hours ahead of the formal Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Naidu. Officially, the 24-member Cabinet meets not less than three times a month and so does it as many times “informally”.
The only difference is that the ministers from TDP allies – three from Jana Sena (Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, Nadendla Manohar and Kandula Durgesh) and the one from BJP – Satya Kumar Yadav, do not participate in Lokesh’s Cabinet meetings.
According to sources, all other TDP Ministers including those far senior to Lokesh in terms of political standing and experience turn up at his residence religiously around 9 am on the day of the Cabinet meeting, partake in the breakfast over a two-hour session, before heading to the Secretariat.
One version is that Lokesh briefs them on the agenda coming up before the Cabinet and takes them on board to make sure that the deliberations are smooth. Not that any TDP minister has the guts to oppose any proposal.
Another version is that Lokesh and his fellow ministerial colleagues essentially utilise the informal meeting to review the feedback from district tours undertaken by ministers in the week that went by, come up with solutions to plug loopholes, if any, and also discuss ways to ensure better coordination.
“Most Cabinet ministers are first timers and there is a healthy mix of experience and youthful energy. All ministers have a sense of developments in their constituencies during their field visits. The idea came along that it would be good to meet offline on the day of the Cabinet since everyone is in the capital on that day. It’s an informal gathering of ministers and there is no chair of the meeting. It’s more a guidance and discussion forum where senior ministers provide guidance based on their past experience,” a spokesman for Lokesh responded to a query from South First.
While some ministers seem fine with the informal sessions, a senior leader pointed out that Lokesh has been told that it is not a “good practice” as questions could arise in what capacity he is holding such meetings.
Would the ministers turn up if any other senior colleague in the Cabinet calls for such informal sessions and will Naidu keep quiet? Obviously not.
“Since it is not an official meeting, the question of seeking approval from the chief minister does not arise,” was how Lokesh’s spokesperson responded when asked if the breakfast sessions have Naidu’s nod. Neither is the attendance mandatory nor is it a formal gathering, he added.
It’s a different story that there is no evidence of any minister having skipped the unofficial sessions except when they were caught in any emergency.
Information gathered by South First suggests that TDP ministers hardly open their mouths at the Cabinet meetings. Even when matters relating to their portfolios come up for discussion/approval, it is the officials concerned who do the briefing and not the ministers. At best, they nod their heads.
On the few occasions that the Cabinet witnessed some heat, it was on account of objections raised by either Pawan Kalyan or Nadendla Manohar from the JSP.
On one such occasion, Pawan questioned the “largesse” being extended by the government to the Lulu group for setting up malls and food processing units. Another occasion, Manohar raised queries over privatisation of medical colleges.
It is not just at the state level. Even when it comes to coordination with the Centre in Delhi, Lokesh has been positioned as the points person. For the record, Lokesh holds the portfolios of HRD and IT but for almost all issues which require approval/assistance from Delhi, he is the one meeting the Union Ministers irrespective of the subject.
Politically, Nara Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan have no love lost. The conscious attempt by both of them to be in the good books of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the rest of BJP leadership is difficult to miss.
If Pawan tries to project himself as the “Sanatani” face to appeal to the BJP for any of its future plans, Lokesh is setting himself up as the emerging face for the Telugu Desam.
Will the alliance stay or break will be decided if and when Naidu decides to hang up his boots or give himself a different role to anoint the scion.
