Nara Lokesh (in white shirt)
Visakhapatnam: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Nara Lokesh’s “Yuva Galam padayatra ” (Voice of the Youth foot march), which began this year on January 27 concluded at the Shivaji Nagar constituency of Visakhapatnam on December 18, marking a crucial step for the TDP ahead of the looming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Lokesh, in the course of his padayatra, travelled for approximately 4,000 km and covered 97 Assembly seats over 226 days, in Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh embarked on this journey against the backdrop of the TDP’s diminishing political footprint, and his efforts have drawn comparisons to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s successful “Praja Sankalpa Yatra.”
Political observers suggest that Lokesh was attempting to replicate the electoral success Jagan achieved following his yatra in 2019, where the YSRCP secured a sweeping victory in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state.
The question now being asked is whether his efforts could fetch votes for his party.
The padayatra was kicked off from Kuppam, the home turf of Lokesh’s father and TDP chief, Chandrababu Naidu. The journey, however, encountered a temporary hiatus of 79 days when Naidu was arrested in September 2023 in connection with an alleged corruption case. Despite this setback, Lokesh resumed the padayatra last month after his father secured bail.
All through his padayatra, Lokesh tried to rejuvenate the TDP’s political standing and aimed at connecting with the people and reinvigorating the party.
While he tried to highlight the surge in crime, corruption, and deteriorating communal harmony in Andhra Pradesh, ironically, on September 9, his father Chandrababu Naidu got arrested in connection with the alleged corruption case of the Koushal Vikas Corporation. Following his father’s arrest, Lokesh had to temporarily halt his padayatra to engage in the legal battle for his father. After Naidu was granted bail, he resumed the 4,000-kilometer journey, reconnecting with the public across the state.
“My journey with the people has been highly successful. I have listened to concerns about poverty, unemployment, corruption, and the injustice of the ruling party, and these issues remain my top priorities,” he said.
Marking the end of the walkathon, Lokesh unveiled a victory arch. TDP leaders feel that Lokesh’s padayatra has garnered support and enthusiasm from TDP activists and the public.
As the political landscape undergoes shifts and transformations, Lokesh’s strategic move to engage with the public and traverse key constituencies signals a commitment to revitalizing the TDP. While the jury is still out on the potential impact of the padayatra, Lokesh’s efforts to connect with the youth and various communities underscore his role as a significant leader within the state. The coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will serve as a litmus test for the effectiveness of these endeavours in restoring the TDP’s influence in Andhra Pradesh.
– global bihari bureau
