Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and Education Minister Nara Lokesh has strongly called for an end to faction politics in the state, stating that the government is committed to supporting families affected by political violence. Introducing the Andhra Pradesh Public Service recruitments amendment bill in the Assembly, Lokesh said the legislation was brought specifically to ensure justice for the family of Palnadu BC leader Thota Chandrayya, who was brutally murdered in 2022.
Lokesh said the horrific visuals of Chandrayya’s murder were widely seen not only across Andhra Pradesh but also in many parts of India. The incident, he said, left a deep scar on the political landscape of the state. The government has therefore decided to provide a government job to Chandrayya’s son as a measure of justice and support for the family. According to Lokesh, the bill was introduced with the broader objective of discouraging faction violence and protecting families who lose their loved ones to political killings.
The minister explained that the proposal was not limited to the Telugu Desam Party. Discussions were also held with leaders of coalition partners Janasena and the BJP before moving forward. Lokesh said the proposal was also discussed in the Cabinet and received support, including from Pawan Kalyan, who termed it a positive and necessary decision. The Cabinet subsequently approved the bill, and it was brought before the Assembly.
Lokesh said the Assembly had already approved the bill in September 2025. However, when the bill was sent to the Legislative Council, it was allegedly stalled and not allowed to progress further. Even though the government made it clear that it would pass the bill again in the Assembly according to constitutional provisions if required, the Council did not take any decision on it. Considering it a responsibility to ensure justice, the government has now brought the bill back to the Assembly, Lokesh said, adding that no one would be able to stop its passage this time.
He stressed that the initiative was not a favor or charity to any individual family. Instead, it was a moral responsibility of the government and the political system to stand by families who suffer due to faction violence. Lokesh said the intention was not only to help Chandrayya’s family but also to ensure that no other family in Andhra Pradesh suffers such injustice in the future.
Calling for unity across party lines, Lokesh appealed to all legislators to support the bill unanimously. He said faction politics often leads to brutal political murders and destroys entire families economically and emotionally. According to him, the primary aim of faction groups is to eliminate opponents and leave their families without support, forcing them into severe hardship.
Lokesh also pointed out that faction-related attacks continued between 2019 and 2024 as well. He recalled that Thota Chandrayya, a BC leader who stood firmly by his political beliefs, was brutally killed on January 12, 2022. The minister said Chandrayya was attacked in broad daylight and was reportedly pressured to chant slogans supporting a rival political leader to save his life. However, Chandrayya refused and reportedly declared that he would rather die than abandon the yellow flag of the Telugu Desam Party. Lokesh described the murder as an extremely cruel act that shocked the public.
Reflecting on the history of faction politics in the state, Lokesh said he had closely observed Andhra Pradesh politics since his childhood. Born in 1983 when NTR was Chief Minister, he said the state had long been associated with faction violence. According to Lokesh, the situation began to change after N Chandrababu Naidu became Chief Minister in 1995. At that time, the government launched a determined fight against factionism as well as Naxal violence, without targeting any particular political party.
Lokesh alleged that after YS Rajasekhara Reddy became Chief Minister in 2004, a wave of violence returned in the first two years. He claimed that around 164 TDP workers were brutally killed during that period, particularly in the undivided Anantapur district. He said the situation was so severe that party leaders visiting one bereaved family would soon hear about another killing elsewhere.
To prevent children of faction victims from entering the cycle of violence, Lokesh said Chandrababu Naidu established the NTR Model School in Hyderabad. The institution was created to educate children of families affected by faction violence and provide them with a stable future. Lokesh said the former Chief Minister personally monitored their welfare and visited the school regularly to counsel the children and encourage them to stay away from faction politics.
According to Lokesh, such an initiative was rare in Indian politics and demonstrated a responsible approach toward victims of political violence. He said the present bill continues that philosophy by ensuring that families who lose a member to faction killings receive meaningful support from the state.
Reiterating his appeal, Lokesh urged all members of the Assembly to stand together and support the legislation. Ending faction politics and protecting vulnerable families, he said, should be a collective responsibility beyond party differences.