After a hue and cry raised by Jana Sena Party activists and fans of deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on social media about lack of his name on the official invitation for Amaravati relaunch works by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the official machinery of Andhra Pradesh woke up and prepared fresh invitations with Pawan Kalyan’s name on the front cover page of the invitation.
In the full-page frontpage advertisements released to the newspapers on Friday, too, the government authorities ensured that Pawan Kalyan’s name is prominently displayed below that of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The deputy chief minister’s picture has also been carried on the advertisement.
So far so good. At the top of the advertisement, alongside Pawan Kalyan, the photo of Naidu’s son and state IT and human resources development minister Nara Lokesh was also included.
This has surprised many. One can understand why the picture of Pawan Kalyan was carried in the advertisement – he is the deputy chief minister and a key alliance partner of the Telugu Desam Party.
But why Lokesh? He is neither a deputy chief minister nor a minister concerned with the Amaravati development. Why he has been given equal prominence with Pawan Kalyan in the ad, is a question that is being raised in the media circles.
What has surprised everybody is the missing of the picture of another important person – state municipal administration and urban development minister Ponguru Narayana – in the newspaper ads.
In fact, it is Narayana, who has been actively working on the ground to resume Amaravati’s development, not Lokesh. But he was left out entirely. This omission is being viewed by some as an insult to Narayana, considering his active role and efforts in recent days.
The answer to this debate is simple: Naidu wants to send a clear message to the people, the party cadres and also the Centre that Lokesh is his heir apparent and he is going to be the person who will oversee Amaravati development after him. So, he wants to clarify that Nara Lokesh is no way inferior to Pawan Kalyan.
It may be recalled that even in the cabinet meetings, Lokesh is seated directly opposite Pawan Kalyan, adjacent to the chief minister ensuring that their seating arrangement reflects no distinction in status. This treatment has reportedly been in place for some time.
This has also raised a debate as to whether the title of deputy CM is more symbolic, with protocol-bound roles and no special powers.
During Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's tenure, too, governance was often seen as centralized around himself. Naidu is now creating a similar perception that governance revolves solely around him, his son Lokesh, and Pawan Kalyan.
