Will Lokesh do a Jagan?

Will he or will he not enter politics? This is the question on everyone’s lips after some Telugu Desam leaders “leaked out” information that the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu’s son Lokesh was behind the Cash Transfer Scheme. Cash scheme

Ever since the party leaders spun the story of how the usually low profile Lokesh spent long hours on the Internet to study the schemes offered by various countries, more so Latin American ones, resembling the Indian socio-economic conditions, speculation was rife that he could join the “long list of sons following footsteps of their politico fathers.”

Striking a balance

Speculation had much to do with a series of events or rather coincidences, the first one, again floated by party leaders, was that he could campaign alongside his more popular cousin, Telugu film star Junior NTR.

The tour would be his ‘political arangetram’, they explained.

Political rivals of the TDP saw in it a move to strike a balance, as Junior NTR became an instant hit with the masses.

Then came the announcement of the Cash Transfer Scheme and the same leaders traced it to Mr. Lokesh. It stuck partly, though Mr. Naidu himself told a few correspondents informally that it was “discovered” four months ago after intensive study by a group of economists but kept a secret lest the Congress “hijacks it like it did in the case of the Rs. 2 a kg rice scheme.”

Matter of time

The third assumptive coincidence was on expected lines. Can Lokesh be far behind when Jaganmohan Reddy, the rising son of Mr. Naidu’s rival, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has already declared himself a Lok Sabha candidate from Kadapa?

Well, it’s election time and it’s time for rumour mills to work overtime! Or is it a case of the wily Mr. Naidu testing waters for his son.