The political heir has once again deployed his well-trained PR jockeys, unleashing a wave of over-the-top publicity. The entire campaign is designed to craft the image of an “undefeated, unmatched leader”, someone with extraordinary strength, unmatched leadership, and rare responsibility. But behind the glitter lies a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt.
Repackaging absence as leadership
When Nara Lokesh skipped the Anantapur Sabha, an event meant to showcase his presence before lakhs of supporters, the absence was immediately repackaged as a “sacrifice” for the greater good. War Room visuals, dramatic references to “Nepal,” and emotional appeals flooded social media. Within hours, influencers and paid media outside Adhra began posting identical praise: “rare in politics,” “true leadership,” “chose responsibility over celebration.”
This wasn’t organic. It was a manufactured perception, where even big accounts outside Andhra politics suddenly joined the chorus, as if reading from the same script.
PR Machinery and Paid Media
The play extended into national media. Suspiciously synchronized stories appeared across The Hindu, Indian Express, and Times of India, portraying Lokesh as a statesman. On TV, endless scrolling, breaking news flashes, and panel discussions were pushed, while inside Andhra’s corridors, I&PR officials were reportedly instructed to ensure blanket coverage.
But here’s the hard evidence: Government expenditure records show “Professional Services” (PR budgets) skyrocketed from Rs. 121 crore in 2022-23 to Rs. 747 crore in 2024-25, an increase of Rs. 626 crore.
This money is being funneled to media outlets, YouTube content creators, and IT Cell handles, directly funding the praise campaigns around Lokesh.
Real issues pushed aside
While farmers demanded fertilizers and governance failures mounted, Lokesh’s carefully staged meeting with the Prime Minister was presented as a “historic moment.” No details were shared of what he asked or what he achieved, because the spectacle itself was the goal.
Even the Nepal crisis was turned into a PR opportunity. Stories of Lokesh “personally talking to victims in Nepal” were floated, though their authenticity remains questionable.
Fact-checker exposes paid campaign
Muhammad Zubair, Fact-Checker and Co-founder of AltNews, directly flagged the campaign as a paid promotion, tweeting: “Nara Lokesh gaaru seems to be cashing in on Nepal’s unrest for PR. RW accounts on X are suddenly singing his praises.”
Even in the comments below, citizens pointed out the pattern:
- “Wherever a crisis arises in any part of the world, the TDP Party turns it into an opportunity for self-promotion. This is the political lesson Lokesh learned from his father, Chandrababu Naidu.”
- “There is a bigger scam, but similar. Nara Lokesh created fake patients on Twitter… bogus accounts asking for medical help, then immediately posting solutions to claim credit. Once the government help reaches, the posts vanish. This is Lokesh’s new scam, bigger than his father’s drama.”
A Crown Prince’s manufactured image
Every event, every absence, every photo-op is being reshaped into a larger-than-life spectacle. The War Room photos, the solidarity posters, the influencer blitz, and the national headlines are all paid productions to sell the image of Lokesh as the inevitable successor.But what happened wasn’t leadership. It was publicity management, powered by Rs. 747 crore of taxpayer money, influencers on payroll, and planted stories in national media. What Andhra Pradesh witnessed was not an act of sacrifice or statesmanship. It was a national-level PR stunt, expensive, loud, and hollow.
