Kuppam (AP): Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu's son and party general secretary Nara Lokesh on Friday embarked on his 4,000-km-long padayatra in the state from here. Before commencing his marathon foot march, Lokesh, accompanied by a large number of TDP workers, offered prayers at a local temple, church and a mosque.
As a minister for IT and electronics, I created 40,000 new jobs. What has it done? Nothing. During the past three years and eight months Jagan Mohan Reddy took back the state 67 years. Farmers, women employees are all victims of this government. This is not only a padayatra. It is a platform for the youth to fight against the present government's policies. Jagan Mohan Reddy means Jaadu Reddy, he said, hitting out at Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRC government.
He charged that Jagan regime witnessed withdrawal of investments by several companies and thus depriving the AP youth of job opportunities. He highlighted the developmental work that his father Naidu undertook during his tenure between 2014 and 2019.
The young leader promised that his father would come into power after 2024 Assembly polls and control the prices of essential commodities.
Lokesh said soon his party will come out with a single page manifesto for the youth.
According to party sources, the foot march titled 'Yuva Galam' (voice of youth) has been designed in such way that Lokesh will cover around 125 constituencies in 400 days from Kuppam to Ichapuram. The TDP, which is struggling to come back to power in AP is pinning hopes on the foot march presuming that it connects with the masses.
The party also hopes that the padayatra will galvanise the party cadre and revive its fortunes in the run-up to the 2024 Assembly polls in the state.
Former minister Lokesh is currently a Member of Legislative Council and unsuccessfully contested from Mangalagiri Assembly constituency in 2019 elections. Meanwhile, Tollywood actor and cousin of Lokesh, Nandamuri Taraka Ratna who took part in the padayatra in Kuppam fainted. He was rushed to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. (PTI)
