Naidu hints at staying away from next polls

TDP chief grooming Lokesh for gaddi

Hyderabad: Will Andhra Pradesh have a young leadership before the next general elections?

If TDP sources are to be believed, party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is working out strategies in that very direction.It is believed that by the time the TDP holds its first Mahanadu in Andhra Pradesh next month, a clearer picture will emerge.

Party sources say that Naidu is working out a master plan to ensure that the party retains power in 2019 besides making inroads as a strong political alternative in Telangana.According to party insiders, as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, Naidu wants to infuse young blood into the party-fold. Towards achieving this, a new youth group guided by select senior party leaders is in the pipeline. This group, in a way, will have its task cut out for the next hustings.

Sources say that Naidu is aware that he is not getting any younger and there was a compulsive need to groom the heir-apparent so that he could be tuned for the coronation. By the next general elections, he will be 70 plus and will be pitted against young opposition leaders, particularly YSRCP leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy who will be in his mid-40’s. Even the Congress might by that time throw up young leadership.

Hence he feels that the TDP should have a Gen Next leader to meet the young challenge and retain power. This would even help the party to fight the possible anti-incumbency factor.Hence, party insiders say that Naidu is likely bring his son into mainstream politics and the coronation of ‘Young Boss’ Nara Lokesh is not far-off. In fact, sources say he would be given some very important responsibility in managing the party affairs and would be asked to play a proactive role in popularising the government schemes among the masses during the next Mahanadu.

The very fact that Lokesh has been asked to take up intensive tour of AP is being seen as the first step towards pushing him full-throttle into active politics.Naidu is also said to be contemplating to give more tickets to the young brigade particularly from the backward classes in 2019 elections. Senior party leaders say that they will not be surprised if Naidu decides to make way for his son a year ahead of the election.Whatever the strategy might be, what remains true is that TDP will continue to sail with the BJP.

Sources say that Naidu has made two things clear to the party rank and file during internal meetings. One is that the TDP will not sever ties with the BJP and secondly he may not contest the elections in 2019.This apparently indicates that Naidu will be more like a senior statesman by moving over to national politics by 2018 and play a key role in ensuring that the BJP-TDP combine comes to power at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh, a senior leader said.

At the same time, Naidu, who is a shrewd politician, is also said to be working on plan B in case the BJP fails to help the residual Andhra Pradesh out of its financial woes. In such a scenario, he is likely to go to the people lashing out at the NDA and try to bring together non-BJP forces on one platform. That he continues to enjoy more than cordial relations with influential leaders from every party will hold him in good stead.

By V Ramu Sarma