By IANS,
Hyderabad : Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao’s actor son N. Balakrishna and grandson Junior NTR Saturday made an appearance at the annual conclave of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), amid speculation they may be warming up to the Congress.
A day after attending a meeting called by NTR’s daughter and central Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandareswari in Prakasam district, the star-duo turned up at the last day of the three-day ‘mahanadu’, an otherwise drab affair, in an attempt to quell the rumours.
Balakrishna asserted that NTR family was united and filial ties would remain unbroken despite their political affiliation.
Balakrishna’s brother and TDP leader N. Harikrishna declared at the “mahanadu” that the NTR clan
would give up their lives rather than seeking political shelter in Congress party.
Both Balakrishna and Junior NTR, who had campaigned for TDP in the 2009 elections, shared the dais with TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, and exhorting party cadre to bring the party back to power in 2014.
Junior NTR predicted that Naidu would once again become the chief minister. “We are ready to fight till the last drop of our blood to see TDP again in power,” the young actor said.
Balaiah, as Balakrishna is popularly known, even predicted mid-term elections and said the party would strengthen under Naidu. “Posts are not important for me. My priority is to bring the party back to power,” he said.
Balaiah’s clarification came following his recent remarks that he is ready to take up the mantle of TDP leadership. In an interview to a television channel, he said that he was ready to take up the leadership if the situation warrants. This set off speculations of a coup brewing in the party. He, however, later clarified that Naidu would remain the party’s leader.
Balaiah, whose daughter is married to Naidu’s son, is currently visiting all major temples in the state following the success of his latest film “Simha” (Lion).
The reported political ambitions of Balaiah, who was once described by NTR and his political heir, have set off debate in political circles. Some people within the party have already started debating if Naidu, who is losing his popularity due to successive defeats in the 2004 and 2009 elections, will face a revolt from his brother-in-law in the manner in which he overthrew his father-in-law in 1995 to become the chief minister.