Nara Lokesh takes oath as Cabinet Minister in AP

Nara Lokesh, son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, took oath as a cabinet minister on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the State Government Transitional Headquarters premises at Velagapudi in the Amaravati. Lokesh’s induction into the cabinet was expected after he was nominated as a member of the Legislative Council by the party. He had filed his nomination papers for the MLC post and he was elected unopposed owing to the party’s strength in the Assembly. It is not clear what portfolio he will handle in the cabinet.

Lokesh’s induction into the cabinet comes along with a key reshuffle in Naidu’s cabinet. The chief minister has not expanded or made a reshuffle in the cabinet since he took over in 2014. While non-performers would be shunted out, those doing good work are expected to be encouraged as the state gets ready for Assembly elections in 2019.