IT Minister Nara Lokesh recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. He requested support from the Centre to help Andhra Pradesh attract investments. Lokesh also thanked Modi for approving a semiconductor unit in the state and sought help for the IT sector.
He also expressed gratitude to Modi for reducing GST rates, which benefit common people. Interestingly, Lokesh was among the first leaders to meet the Prime Minister after the GST rationalisation. These frequent meetings are drawing attention in political circles.
This was the fifth appointment Lokesh secured with Modi in just eight months. One of them even involved a family visit that lasted nearly two hours, making it one of the longest non-official meetings the Prime Minister has granted in recent years.
It is worth recalling that Modi had once publicly asked Lokesh to visit him in Delhi with his family. Since then, Lokesh seems to be getting appointments with Modi much more easily than other leaders, which has raised curiosity in Andhra Pradesh.
Narendra Modi has always shown interest in identifying young leaders with potential. In many states, he chooses to engage with such leaders closely rather than senior politicians. Lokesh appears to fit into this approach, given his back-to-back meetings with Modi.
Political observers note that no other minister from any state has been given so many appointments with Modi in such a short time. Even Pawan Kalyan, despite being Deputy Chief Minister, has not managed half the number of meetings Lokesh has had.
This growing camaraderie indicates that the BJP may not oppose Chandrababu Naidu if he decides to elevate Lokesh in the Andhra Pradesh government in the future. Lokesh’s access to the Prime Minister has clearly become a matter of political significance.
