Minister for HRD N. Lokesh. File
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO

Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy has requested TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu to make HRD Minister N. Lokesh the party’s working president in recognition of the stellar role he has been playing in taking the party forward through a lot of struggle in the last few years.

“It is a wish of the party cadres to see Mr. Lokesh in that role, and he deserves it for reviving the sagging fortunes of the TDP amidst heavy odds,” Mr. Sridhar Reddy asserted on Wednesday.

Making his speech in support of a resolution on the power sector reforms moved by Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar at the Mahanadu here, Mr. Sridhar Reddy said Mr. Lokesh, who is currently the party’s national general secretary, had waged a relentless battle against the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which put him to many hardships.

Besides, Mr. Lokesh did not bow to intimidation when his father and then Leader of the Opposition Mr. Naidu had been sent to jail in the fabricated skill development scam case. He steered the party through all such troubling times, Mr. Sridhar Reddy noted, insisting that Mr. Naidu fulfil the cadres’ wish.

Retired IAS officer and Prathipadu MLA B. Ramanjaneyulu suggested to Mr. Naidu to elevate Mr. Lokesh to the more active role of working president in order to reward him for his contribution to the party.

These fervent appeals lent credence to speculation that Mr. Naidu was really considering Mr. Lokesh for a bigger responsibility in the party, and many leaders had thrown their weight behind the young leader.