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Lokesh elevated to TDP working president amid politburo reshuffle
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu names his son Nara Lokesh as the party's first working president, amidst a major committee restructuring for balanced leadership.
Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday announced his son and state information technology minister Nara Lokesh as the party’s working president, according to a statement .
This is for the first time in its 44 years of existence that the TDP has a working president. “Hitherto, Lokesh has been functioning as party’s national general secretary, though he has been virtually controlling the party affairs since it returned to power in the state in June 2024,” said a party functionary who asked not to be named.
Naidu also announced a revamped politburo with 29 members, national committee with 31 members, and state committee with 185 members.
As part of the restructuring, Union minister for civil aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu has been elevated as national general secretary along with MP Byreddy Shabari, and senior leader Rajesh Kilaru, a close associate of Lokesh.
Palla Srinivas Rao will continue as the party’s Andhra Pradesh unit president, and Naidu’s brother-in-law and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna was retained as a politburo member.
According to the party’s statement, the new committees have been constituted with a focus on balancing experience and fresh leadership, while also factoring in social representation.
“Naidu personally oversaw the restructuring exercise, carefully weighing political, social, and regional equations,” the party functionary quoted above said.
The revamped national committee of the TDP has three general secretaries, 18 vice-presidents and 10 spokespersons. The state committee has seven general secretaries, 16 vice-presidents, 14 spokespersons, 10 zonal coordinators, 50 executive secretaries and 77 secretaries.
Of the 185 state committee members, 50 are women, with significant representation also ensured in the politburo and national committees. Similarly, 122 members belong to underprivileged sections including 77 Other Backward Classes, 25 Scheduled Castes, seven Scheduled Tribes and 13 minorities.
