Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh politics is witnessing an unusual political family soap opera.
It pertains to jailed Telugu Desam supremo and ex-CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, his family, extended family and members of N T Rama Rao clan.
In the turbulent dirty politics in AP, some political leaders crossed all levels of decency and indulging in character assassination of rivals and using abusive language.
Ever since Nara Chandrababu Naidu has been arrested in alleged Rs 371 crore skilled development scam in Nandyala on September 10 followed by other cases and jailed in Rajamahendravaram, his family is fighting a desperate battle.
At logger heads are YSRCP government headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Opposition Telugu Desam led by Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
Jana Sena boss and actor Pawan Kalyan has forged an alliance with Telugu Desam while AP BJP led by D Purandeshwari, sister-in-law of Naidu, has kept away from the episode barring initial condemnation of arrest.
While some NTR clan members came out in his support, top actor Jr NTR and his family’s muted silence has raised eye brows in Telugu Desam, political circles and general public too.
Interestingly, among NTR clan, only Jr NTR, who is ignored by NTR, Chandrababu Naidu family, carries the charisma of his late grandfather N T Rama Rao and matches the late star’s dialogue delivery style.
Yet he made it clear in 2009 that he wants to protect the NTR legacy but doesn’t aspire to be a full-time politician.
NTR clan split
NTR clan is literally split on the Chandrababu Naidu episode. NTR’s son in law and ex CM Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Bhuvaneshwari, son Nara Lokesh, Nara Brahmani, Nandamuri Balakrishna and few others on one side and NTR’s wife, Nandamuri Lakshmi Parvathi is in YSRCP camp and supporting Y S Jaganmohan Reddy government.
Lakshmi Parvathi welcomed Naidu’s arrest saying the latter is paying for his sins, overthrowing NTR government, grabbing Telugu Desam party and accused him for driving N T Rama Rao to death.
Power struggle
In fact, there seems to be power struggle within the family also as to who should lead the party if Naidu and others are confined to jail for long. There is no charismatic leader like Naidu in TD now.
Though Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh and party National General Secretary, jumped into action backed by actor and Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan, but he failed to mobilise people in support of his father. There is talk of Lokesh arrest soon in another scam.
Then father-in-law, actor, MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna made a brief appearance, looked like he would step into Chandrababu Naidu’s shoes and steer the party, but it fizzled out soon.
A section of media projected Chandrababu Naidu’s daughter in law and Stanford educated Nara Brahmani, an Executive Director of Heritage Foods and Trustee of NTR Memorial Trust of taking over TD mantle. She led a candle light protest, gave few statements in highly accented Telugu but relegated to background soon.
Nara Bhuvaneshwari
Finally, on the advice of senior party leaders like Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, the responsibility fell on Nara Bhuvaneshwari, wife of Chandrababu Naidu.
Bhuvaneshwari, who was confined to family business and home, is taking up cudgels against the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy YSRCP government for what TD leaders called a “politically motivated arrest and jail,” due to regime change.
Though Naidu family is in the limelight, the absence of Jr NTR in the whole episode triggered speculation that all is not well in NTR clan.
Power slipping to Nandamuri family again?
Some say Nara Chandrababu Naidu doesn’t want to see power slip from their hands to Nandamuri family again. Precisely for this reason, Nandamuri Balakrishna or Jr NTR are not being projected or brought to lead the party.
N T Rama Rao stunned the world by forming Telugu Desam in 1982 and won the assembly polls in 1983 defeating Congress. Chandrababu Naidu, who joined him later, dethroned N T Rama Rao in 1995 over Lakshmi Parvathi episode and formed the government with the support of family and MLAs. He split the party too.
NTR family members opposed Lakshmi Parvathi marriage to NTR and feared she might be made CM one day. Since then, Chandrababu Naidu controlled the party. NTR died of heart attack on January 18, 1996. NTR clan who hate Lakshmi Parvathi kept her at bay.
Balakrishna episode
In the latest power struggle, brief entry and attempts to take up cudgels of the party by actor and Naidu’s brother-in-law Balakrishna, triggered unrest in party circles and he had to keep a low profile thereafter.
While actor and Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan announced alliance with TD and came out in support of Naidu after the arrest and jail, own family member Jr. NTR, the top Telugu and multilingual film star, kept away from NTR centenary celebrations and maintained silence till date on Naidu arrest.
I don’t care: Balakrishna on Jr NTR silence
When a reporter asked about the silence of 40-year-old Jr NTR, Balakrishna quipped, “Bro…I don’t care. Some have reacted some did not. My sister Daggubati Purandeshwari who heads BJP reacted. In fact, CM KCR and other leaders in BRS were from Telugu Desam. They have to do it. If film fraternity did not react, I don’t mind. It’s not correct to say film industry is away from politics. They are citizens.”
Jr NTR campaigned in 2009 polls
In fact, crowd puller Jr NTR was roped in by Telugu Desam in the 2009 polls by Chandrababu Naidu and given much importance. Yet, the party lost but won in 2014. After Lokesh got prominent place in party in 2014, Jr NTR stayed away from party activities since 2014.
After the Telugu Desam’s 2019 defeat, some party leaders wanted Jr NTR to make a foray into politics and carry the legacy of NTR. In fact, Chandrababu Naidu faced some awkward moments during his roads shows in AP when some TD activists carried banners projecting him as CM and wanted him to take up the party mantle. Jr NTR is in support of Bhuvaneshwari over abusive remarks against her.
Jr NTR and his family, especially mother, brother was ignored by Chandrababu Naidu family for a long time. Jr NTR and father Hari Krishna skipped the wedding of Balakrishna’s younger daughter Tejeswini and were busy with film shoot in 2013. Jr NTR office in Film Nagar Hyderabad was stoned a year before when Gudivada TD MLA Kodali Venkateshwara Rao alias Nani, his close friend, criticized Naidu after his suspension from party.
After his success in films, he was invited for some family functions. But the relationship was cold and never cordial like other family members, according to sources in Telugu Desam. In fact, some see him as a political threat to Naidu and his family.
Says Tammareddy Bharadwaja, film director and producer on TD leaders and cadre reaction on Jr NTR’s silence.
“In what way Jr NTR is connected? Why should he give a statement? He was never being considered part of NTR family barring some occasions. After his stardom, some thought about him. Naidu invited him and he campaigned 2009 and met with an accident. Now Chandrababu Naidu ignored him and sought Actor Pawan Kalyan. Jr NTR is equal to Pawan Kalyan in stardom. When Jr NTR was ignored, why will he support them? Jr NTR would have been an asset to Telugu Desam.”
Similarly, Lakshmi Parvathi was kept at arms distance by NTR clan. There was not only power struggle, but also property dispute with her. Lakshmi Parvathi is now YSRCP leader, which is against Telugu Desam in Andhra politics.
Jr NTR thanks fans who stood by him
Jr NTR kept away from politics but attended SIIMA awards to take the best actor award. He thanked all his fans who stood by him in thick and thin, lifted him when he was down, wept and laughed along with him all through his journey.
Telugu Desam leaders and cadre are mighty upset over Jr NTR’s silence and have been airing publicly.
Junior NTR and family also stayed away or not invited for NTR centenary philately celebrations in New Delhi. NTR’s wife Lakshmi Parvathi too was not invited.
“NTR is my husband, yet I was not invited. It’s atrocious,” fumed Lakshmi Parvathi.
NTR family and Telugu Desam Party episodes seem to be unending.
