Following the revival of ties between the TDP and the BJP — largely facilitated by Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan last year — the TDP leadership has been making concerted efforts to woo top BJP leaders, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been lavishing praise on Prime Minister Modi at every public forum and frequently traveling to Delhi to meet senior BJP leaders and Union ministers, including Amit Shah.
Now, Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh seems to be following in his father’s footsteps.
However, while Naidu focuses on the party’s senior leadership, Lokesh appears to be building rapport with the younger generation of BJP leaders.
This was evident on Sunday in Visakhapatnam, where Lokesh went out of his way to welcome and host Jay Shah, son of Amit Shah and currently the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Though Lokesh is not known to attend cricket matches, he made a rare appearance at the stadium, accompanied by his family, specifically to receive Jay Shah and hold a meeting with him.
Jay Shah, along with BCCI President Roger Binny, arrived in Visakhapatnam to watch the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad — reportedly at Lokesh’s invitation.
According to sources, the entire initiative to arrange the meeting was coordinated by Rajya Sabha MP Sana Satish, who is currently playing a key role as the TDP’s representative in New Delhi. Satish was also present at the discussions.
During the visit, Jay Shah also unveiled a foundation plaque for the modernization of the ACA-VDCA Stadium, which is slated to be upgraded with a budget of around â¹35 crore.
After the match, Lokesh, Jay Shah, and Roger Binny visited a local food court.
Jay Shah had reportedly expressed interest in trying local street food, prompting Lokesh to make swift arrangements.
The trio visited the SFC Food Court opposite the stadium, where they spent over half an hour enjoying popular Indian snacks like chaat and pav bhaji, along with tea. They even posed for photos with the staff before leaving.
With such gestures, it seems Lokesh is quickly learning the art of political networking — and is emerging as an effective behind-the-scenes player in strengthening the TDP-BJP alliance.