Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Lokesh graced the India Today Conclave South stage in Coimbatore on Monday. He reaffirmed the Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) unconditional support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and clarified that the party would back the ruling coalition's candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, in the Vice President election.
Lokesh expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership at the conclave, stating that the right timing, place, and leadership can transform everything. Whether it's the Vice President election or any other, TDP’s stance is clear - they will support the NDA candidate. He also mentioned that TDP MPs accompanied him to Delhi to congratulate the NDA nominee.
Following their meeting with CP Radhakrishnan, the announcement of B Sudarshan Reddy's name was made. Lokesh indicated that Reddy understood their support for CP Radhakrishnan. He accused the opposition of exploiting Telugu pride for political gain but maintained a steadfast agenda of putting India first.
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Lokesh stressed the importance of supporting capable leadership for India’s progress, pointing out that only the Prime Minister could achieve this, and TDP would fully back his leadership. Addressing questions about Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh expressed a keen focus on making Andhra Pradesh number one, reiterating that TDP is inherently local leaders, not Delhi’s.
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He emphasized the party's dedication to grassroots politics for the state's development. Acknowledging Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership, Lokesh highlighted his transformative impact on the state. Dismissing speculations of TDP’s dissatisfaction with NDA, he affirmed the alliance's strength even in the upcoming 2029 elections. Lokesh asserted that TDP would continue to stand firmly with NDA and handle any differing opinions in private discussions.
