Mana llu Mana Lokesh: Lokesh Under Fire for Launching Scheme Named After Himself

Soon after taking charge, one of the first decisions made by the TDP-led NDA government was to remove former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s name from government schemes. In their attempt to erase the achievements of the previous YSRCP government, the coalition government made a series of decisions in the education sector, including changing student uniforms. They alleged that the YSRCP had politicized education by providing uniforms in the party’s colours.

However, the double standards of the Chandrababu Naidu-led government have come to light once again, with IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh launching a housing scheme named after himself.

Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary, Nara Lokesh, will launch the 'Mana Illu-Mana Lokesh' scheme on April 3, aimed at granting permanent rights to individuals who have built houses on government land in Mangalagiri. As part of the first phase of the scheme, 3,000 house pattas will be distributed.

In the last nine months, Lokesh has overturned several initiatives of the previous YSRCP government in the education sector, causing confusion among students. While the YSRCP government had decided to introduce CBSE education, Lokesh revoked the decision and instructed over 78,000 children in around 1,000 schools across Andhra Pradesh to switch to the State syllabus, even as they were preparing for exams in February 2025.

Lokesh has also renamed several schemes, including Mana Badi-Nadu Nedu, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, and Jagananna Gorumudda, claiming it was an effort to make learning centers free from politics.

What justification does the IT Minister have for launching a scheme named after himself, just months after overhauling a system he claimed was politicized by the previous Jagan government?