Nara Lokesh, general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and son of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu, accused the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the State of political vindictiveness after his father was arrested by the State Police in a corruption case. Mr. Lokesh also said that he felt “let down” by the BJP and the Congress, which have maintained a studied silence on the issue.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Lokesh added that the TDP in its alliance with the Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP) would be fighting the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, both due in 2024 in Andhra Pradesh, together, but that questions with regard to the JSP’s continuance in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after this new alliance was a question for Mr. Kalyan and not him.
“The JSP’s continuance in the NDA while being in alliance with the TDP is something they have to answer. Mr Pawan Kalyan, in fact, had been asked this question, and he said that the BJP has to decide what it wants to do, since our alliance is now a done thing,” Mr. Lokesh said.
