How Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh are already prepping TDP for 2029 polls

Local body elections this year the first target, the TDP just held a leadership conclave aimed at the wider 2029 battle for Andhra PradeshThe Andhra Pradesh assembly election season is a good two and half years away, but chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is already in preparatory mode. And the ‘CEO-CM’ and his Stanford graduated son, minister Nara Lokesh, are doing this in a professional manner—with a structured leadership-development model combining training, peer learning and mentoring programmes, akin to the meticulous plannings in corporate set-ups.The TDP conducted a first-of-its-kind leadership conclave on September 7-8, bringing together senior functionaries, ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other key representatives for intensive leadership development and training. Conducted at the TDP central office at Mangalagiri, near Vijayawada, the conclave, party sources said, was designed as a professional and interactive workshop to upskill elected representatives, strengthen leadership capabilities and prepare the organisation for the upcoming local body elections and the state polls in 2029.The rural and urban local body polls—a major precursor to the assembly polls and serving as a mid-term performance assessment of the government—are expected to be held this year.The conclave, a participant said, went much beyond the idea of a conventional political conference as senior leaders themselves prepared and delivered sessions on political, organisational, governance, welfare and development issues. Participants were encouraged to raise questions, discuss practical challenges and engage in detailed two-way discussions with senior leadership. Chief minister and TDP supremo Naidu, addressing the conclave, said the focus must be on building effective leadership at every level and maintaining a continuous connection with the people. He directed party representatives to make victory in the local body elections an immediate priority while simultaneously preparing for the 2029 elections. For this, Naidu stressed on unity of the alliance—TDP, BJP and Jana Sena—while imploring the importance of stronger grassroots engagement and coordination among leaders.In the wake of the Gen Z protests and their evident influence on electoral politics, Naidu urged TDP leaders to understand the changing social and generational dynamics and adapt their political approach accordingly. “Every 10 years, a new generation emerges. Our performance and approach must change according to the changing generation,” he said.On the second day, TDP national working president Nara Lokesh addressed a session titled ‘Political Communication and Public Orientation’, underscoring the need for elected representatives to take social media seriously and use it effectively to communicate directly with the public.Lokesh urged leaders to actively showcase the government's development and welfare initiatives through social media “and promptly counter Opposition misinformation with facts and evidence”.Referring to how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaging with the public with selfie videos, and his own use of selfie videos such as about industrial projects in Andhra Pradesh, and about “the Opposition’s misinformation campaign on teacher’s (Mega DSC) recruitment”, Lokesh said party leaders should adopt more direct and accessible forms of communication.Lokesh urged “the 2024 batch”, i.e., the youngest lot of leaders, to work harder, take responsibility, serve the cadre, stay connected with the public and strengthen the party at the grassroots, with the ultimate goal of making supremo Naidu say “2024 is the best batch of leaders”.Lokesh, the state’s minister for HRD, IT and electronics, emphasised on stronger booth-level engagement, continuous cadre activation, direct public interaction and faster resolution of people's issues. “Our party's biggest challenge is not delivery but failing to communicate the truth as strongly and consistently as the Opposition communicates misinformation,” observed Lokesh.He also urged leaders to identify their weaknesses, work on them and take responsibility for resolving public issues rather than merely forwarding them to higher leadership.Several seniors ministers, including Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, led the training sessions, sharing their experiences and insights with the participating legislators.Lokesh, in his closing remarks, called on every elected representative to take ownership and become an “asset, not a liability” to the party. Calling this TDP Version 3.0, he said the party must come first, with internal discussions and debates encouraged.“The first-of-its-kind conclave marks a shift from conventional political meetings towards a structured leadership-development model combining training, peer learning, senior leadership mentorship and practical problem-solving, with a focus on building a more responsive, people-centric and election-ready organisation,” said a senior TDP leader who attended the conclave.Naidu asked MLAs to set clear targets and identify 25 priority areas in every constituency, with focused work on these issues helping public representatives build recognition and credibility. Naidu announced that such leadership conclaves will be conducted once every three months, with MLAs who implement successful best practices being given an opportunity to present them at subsequent meetings.He underlined that money alone does not guarantee electoral success and that leaders must build an emotional connection with both the people and the party cadre. Naidu also emphasised on self-motivation, persistence and continuous coordination with officials to get things done for the public.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Shyam BalasubramanianPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 19:53 IST