222 Crore For Jagan’s Air Travel, Lokesh-Mark Politics!

Minister Nara Lokesh is showing how sharp and direct modern politics has become. YSRCP leaders accused him of flying to Hyderabad often and wasting public money. Sakshi even ran a story to damage his image, but Lokesh responded without delay.

The government released full details of his air travel from the day it took charge. The RTI reply confirmed that none of the departments under Lokesh paid a single rupee for his trips. Every expense came from his own pocket.

Lokesh holds Higher Education, Skill Development, Information Technology, and Real-Time Governance. His department clarified through the RTI that he personally paid for all 77 Hyderabad trips. This settled the allegation against him with clear proof.

But the story did not end there. Modern political strategy goes beyond defending yourself. It also demands a strong counterattack, and Lokesh did exactly that. TDP obtained documents from Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Ltd (APACL) that exposed shocking numbers.

The records show that the government spent Rs 222.85 crore on the air travel of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy from 2019 to 2024. The breakdown is clear: Rs 31.43 crore in 2019-20, Rs 44 crore in 2020-21, Rs 49.45 crore in 2021-22, Rs 47.18 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 50.81 crore in 2023-24.

The data also lists Rs 112.50 crore for fixed-wing aircraft, Rs 87.02 crore for helicopters, and Rs 23.31 crore for operational expenses like crew and handling. People already knew Jagan relied on helicopters even for short distances, sometimes as little as four kilometres.

Despite these facts, YSR Congress still targeted Lokesh. Their attack backfired. The contrast is now clear: in 18 months as a minister, Nara Lokesh did not take one rupee from the government for helicopters or special flights, while in 60 months as Chief Minister, Jagan spent Rs 222 crore from the treasury.

Lokesh has exposed Jagan with documented evidence. It now depends on TDP to take this issue to the public and drive the message home.