Nara Lokesh, IT Minister and son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, tells Kalyan Tholeti that Opposition leaders, who had earlier mocked him for ‘incompetence’, are levelling baseless graft allegations after finding that he could not be faulted for his performance
Don’t break the law!’, that was my father’s advice when I decided to enter electoral politics,” recalls Nara Lokesh. That was in 2014 when he hit the campaign trail on a 27-day long tour. He wasn’t a novice even then. The son of TDP national president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had been playing a proactive role in the party since 2012.
But 2014 was his first foray into the rough and tumble of elections. Since then, the advice his father gave him that day, has been his guiding principle, he says as we sit down for a chat over lunch at his elegant chambers that has a minimalist look at the Secretariat. Nara Lokesh, considered the most powerful and emerging leader in the TDP, has come a long way since 2014. As general secretary of the party, he is among its top strategists and as IT, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister, he is crucial to the Chief Minister’s ambitious plans for the State. Juggling politics and governance, the 35-year old, the youngest in the Cabinet, admits isn’t a cakewalk. Excerpts from the interview
How was your first day in office?
Overwhelmed! It took me almost six months to figure out what was going on where. PR and RD is a very vast department. For a person, who has no understanding of the department, it is not easy. It takes time just to understand the roles and responsibilities, and strengths and weaknesses of your team. It is very, very tough. The good thing is I am blessed with a good team. Jawahar Reddy garu is a great man. I have been lucky. CM garu put together a great team. When I first joined in the then temporary office, we had to allocate NABARD funds. I said fair, I can allocate reasonably about `300 crore but insisted on a list of how much was given to the constituencies in the last four years. It took them almost six days to submit. That is where my dashboarding started. I said as a minister I want information. Today, I can tell you exactly how much money is being allocated, how many kms of panchayat roads are there based on the background of constituency.
There was news about your idea of setting up Mee Seva centres in every village. Officials seem to think it is an unviable proposition. How do you deal with bureaucrats?
I am keen on having Mee Seva centres in every village by August 15. That is the target for the department. Every Mee Seva is going to be ranked on performance, and public perception of that centre. I have cleared whatever they have asked including enhancement of rates. I am doing everything humanly possible. There are two types of services, Type A and Type B. The latter requires verification for a service to be rendered. I have to move more and more services from Type A to Type B and ensure Mee Seva operates smoothly. To ensure quality, every fortnight, pictures of the centre will be taken and uploaded on the dashboard. If we can democratise data and bring about transparency, corruption can be eliminated. That is what we are striving for. In that respect, Mee Seva stabilisation is very important. As for bureaucracy, after that phase during the YSR regime, bureaucrats have become very cautious. This is where we as ministers come in and get the job done.
For instance, several departments fail to even utilise the funds allocated as works are taken up at a snail’s pace. How are you addressing that problem?
Similarly, files keep circulating. I have a dashboard for that. For all E&C and RW works. We now have 9800 works in engineering. Of them, grounding is happening in about 60 per cent. A lot of them are also new works. At every Monday meeting, I focus on how many are grounded. We cross check with MLAs for verification and make sure the data is accurate. It is a continuous effort. I never keep files pending. The longest at my desk for any file is four-and-a-half hours. I have zero number of files pending!
How about IT? There is no longer a boom. How realistic are your promises of generating lakhs of jobs?
New technology tracks are emerging like AI, blockchain, big data analytics etc. Back then, if Infosys had never happened, Cyber Towers never happened, Hyderabad and Cyberabad would never have happened. It would only have been a theory. Now, given that there is no boom, there are new sectors that are coming. Infosys is different now. All companies have evolved and so should states. I have a dual strategy. Firstly, the companies I am going after are big ticket companies that actually lead the way. Franklin Templeton came to Hyderabad because of the CM. They led the way for a lot of fintech companies to come... so that is the advantage of roping in big companies. They inspire confidence in other companies to follow suit. I am going to meet the senior leadership of Conduent, initially a Xerox BPO but it has spun off into other areas now. They started with 350 employees and are now adding 300 more. Secondly, there are new kids on the block. They are bringing in new investments to the country for the first time. Established players will ask me 10 questions but the new ones don’t. Existing companies are already there. I will support them within the framework of the law. But going after new companies who are coming for the first time to India has an advantage. These are not on the radar of anyone. That makes our job a lot easier.
Coming to politics, why did you choose this as a career?
After all, you had been to Stanford. I have always been passionate about politics. It was part of my education at Stanford. I want to offer a positive leadership. I had applied for MBA in Stanford in 2005 December. Even then, I was clear in my mind about what to do. I returned from Stanford in 2008 and thereafter for five years, I was in business looking after Heritage. We went through a very bad phase. If you look at our balance sheet, we suffered losses for two years. When I joined, retail losses were very high, losing six seven crores a month. Dairy profits were very low. So we struggled. We peaked out in performance in 2013. I also wanted to learn and it was quite a learning experience. It is a great experience to work in the private sector. my president was ex-IAS officer Sambasiva Rao. His knowledge about the system and all is vast. We used to spend a few hours over a cup of tea regularly. You can’t put value to it.
But electoral politics is a different ball game altogether.
Not exactly. It is not a challenge. Fact is we overrate our education. Education is only one part. Practical experience, meeting and understanding people is educative. We learn that from our CM. Juggling politics and governance. He can switch rapidly. Besides, having been born and brought up in a political family, I am used to seeing thousands of people coming to see my father every day. So, meeting and talking to people isn’t new for me. And, I know where I have to be tough, sometimes I correct myself. I have a team too who advise me.
How do you feel when you are criticised or made fun of by the Opposition?
It is part of politics. I have not done anything wrong. With great courage I can say, prove it. Come with facts. They say Lokesh has made money. It has been 14 months since I became a minister. Has anyone showed one GO? All GOs are in public domain. All company financials are in public domain. We are the only political family whose assets are in public domain... more than what we need to declare. Everything is clear. You show Lokesh got money here or that this GO Lokesh issued in favour of xyz. But the criticism I get today is I favoured Franklin Templeton. It is very unfair. On one side, you say no jobs and on the other, you say I am favouring a Fortune 500 company.
As per the GIC policy, that is the first company that applied. If I don’t let it come, who is going to come? Why should a Fortune 500 company come to Vizag, Vijayawada or for that matter anywhere in AP? Fundamentally, what do we have? Nothing! We don’t have the ecosystem. The only thing I tell them is that we have the smartest kids. 40-50 per cent employees in FT Hyderabad centre are Andhras. And, the irony of it all is that FT is an American company. They have their own regulations around corruption. They are very stringent. When I go, all they offer me in a meeting is water and a cup of coffee, not even a meal! The Opposition leaders claim am not giving preferential treatment to local companies. Fact is they get state government incentives but they can’t create high-end jobs like data analytics. They just don’t have the bandwidth.
It will take time for an Andhra company to get to that level. We will support their journey. But you can’t question why Lokesh is giving incentives to a Fortune 500 company. That is the weirdest thing. I don’t understand why they are criticising me for it. They keep saying FT is into real estate! Boss, FT is not into real estate. They are a $750 bn investment company! Why will they come into real estate? Let them criticise me more and more. I am enjoying it. Tomorrow, I will stand in front of FT board and tell them. I have not done anything wrong. All these years, they criticised me saying am inefficient and incapable. Now, they criticise me for attracting companies. It is hilarious. They should make up their mind.
You seem to be soft in hitting back at the Opposition, in particular, Pawan Kalyan?
I want to be positive. I am not into yelling. It does not add value. I want to educate citizens, provide information. What is the point in mudslinging? It becomes a boxing fight. No one believes the Opposition. Who is Vijayasai Reddy? A1. Botsa Satyanarayana who drove away Volkswagen. They have no reason to criticise me. They have a sense of insecurity.
But at the end of the day, politics is all about perception. What do you react to?
For example in PR and RD, works are getting done. Roads are getting laid. We are doing it on a war-footing. Though only 14 months as minister, this year, I want to do `10,000 crore MNREGA works. When I told my team, my secretary laughed, saying sir, last year, we did `6,000 crore and questioned how is `10,000 crore possible. Last month, I did `1,025 crore works. Look at the assets we are creating and the amount of money going into rural economy. Now, the Opposition can’t question me on efficiency. Earlier, they called me names to say am incompetent. Irony is that is not coming up for debate. Now, they simply say I am corrupt. It has become easy. I am reiterating my position strongly at every venue, saying produce proof. You can always question that this one village does not have a road. As a minister, I take a view on a policy matter. Unfortunately, what is not done in 70 years, as a minister I can’t do it in 14 months or the government in four years. It is safe to assume that TDP government has done a lot more in rural AP in the last four years.
Are you then getting enough funds from the Centre?
NREGA is only one example. What we have done is we brought about convergence of funds. Earlier, there was no accountability. None knew what was the quality of CC roads laid and by whom. We have fixed it. We are working with whatever funds we are entitled to. Government of India is not giving us anything extra. It is just that we are utilising the funds better. My pointed question is the highest devolution is for UP and Bihar. They are backward I agree. But you can’t penalise states like AP for being developed. I keep saying let us misuse MNREGA, we will get more money! That is the logic right? Being a brother, we will help every state but don’t take it for granted. MNREGA is a demand-driven programme. Gives us what is rightfully ours. The top three states in MNREGA are non-BJP states — AP, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. I am very surprised that BJP is claiming credit. Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan! If you look at even Polavaram, Vijayasai Reddy claims it is YSR’s dream. BJP says it is getting done because of them.
Not even one of the national projects has taken off properly under this BJP government at the Centre. How can you guys take credit?
Even funds are not being given on time. The irony of the game is BJP won’t criticise YSRC or Pawan and vice-versa. It is very clear that they want to defame and dethrone our leader because things they thought impossible, are now actually happening. For example, for the so-called Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, they could not get land and they say Amaravati is a waste. 35,000 acres in the most fertile zone was given up by farmers just because of the confidence they have in CM.
Who will give up lands? Even relatives won’t. None of those who criticise us live in Amaravati. They come here by flight, and by evening they are out. Our CM is living here, ministers are here in the middle of nowhere. Am not saying everything is right. But criticise us properly. CM says we should give them back. I tell him if that is to be done, my entire life will be only for giving them back.
Coming back to Coming back to your political journey, why did you choose to be in Legislative Council? Why not contest for Assembly?
I worked like a soldier for the party during elections. The mandate given by the party was to work for the party. Post that, it is very unfair to ask an MLA to sacrifice his seat for me. I felt it is unfair. The Chief Minister saw something in me and felt I am fit to be a minister.
Is being an MLC wrong?
My question is they (Oppn) also have MLCs. I am a bit different in that sense. I can’t play that level of politics. See, there are need and greed. My fundamental belief is there ought to be some fairness in politics. I do look at what is fair and not. Your take on comparisons with KTR? Fine but what is there. I am least bothered. I don’t aspire to be compared. The only person I like to be compared is my Chief Minister. I think he is a great ideal. No one works as hard or efficiently as him. It is very hard competing with him but I try.
What advice did he give you when you entered politics?
Don’t break the law! My political journey, in public perspective, began in 2014. But I have been there since 2012. I had been coordinating the finer details. In 2014, I went for poll campaign. Before I left, he told me don’t break EC rules and regulations. Even today, as long as everything goes by the law, I am okay. 14 months in my department, have you heard any whispers? My files don’t stay with me for more than 4-and-a-half hours.
Did you have any targets in mind when you assumed office?
Honestly no. It is more of a discovery as you go. It is a very large ministry. I set my own targets. I said I will create 1 lakh jobs in IT and 2 lakh in electronics and this is the vision again. A lot of people told me don’t do it. At the end of the day, if I create only 60,000, I will go to people and say sorry. If I don’t set targets, how else will my team be motivated? In PR and RD, I began setting targets after I understood what various things are. We want to lay 25,000 km of cc roads in five years. I keep my ears open. That is one thing I learnt from CM. I am never a yes boss person and I don’t expect the person meeting me to be a yes boss person. You are considered the most powerful person after CM in the party and government.
Unfortunately, that is built up. Yes, I have the advantage of being able to communicate with the CM. But that is about it. That is where am cautious. Being the general secretary I am a part of the politburo. Strategies I can give but final decision is always with the CM. He allows us to even argue with him. Once a decision is taken, the laxman rekha is clear. Even if he chooses a person for a post, which I may feel is not the right choice, I will work 10 times harder to make it happen. We understand each of us very well. We never have any disagreement. How about the seniors in the party? The reason for my being here today is Yanamala garu! I remember where we met and sat a few years ago. He advised me to take up the general secretary post.
He said for you to get it at a young age is great luck and I ought to take the plunge as I had done a lot of work for the party. He said we know how capable you are but the world needs to know. It is because of him I am general secretary and minister today. Sir told me I was unnecessarily delaying. I don’t step on anyone’s toes. If there is advice, one-on one, I will convey the feedback. We are a very democratic party. In fact, when I first mooted the idea of insurance for party cadre and other new proposals, the politburo shot it down. They said first try it in a constituency and if successful, we will take up.
I did and the rest followed. Do you miss your family? It is a big test for me, Brahmani, Devansh and my mother. All of us have careers. Heritage is becoming a large dairy company in India and by default in the world. That means we have to make sacrifices. I try and squeeze as much time as possible during weekends. My son is growing. I call it Monday blues. I miss him. But here we are so occupied, there is hardly any time to think. But it is the biggest pain point. Am loving my work. We are able to see results and that gives satisfaction.