Political sources say that Jr. NTR and his father Hari Krishna have come to the conclusion that there would be no place for them in the TDP as Naidu has been carefully grooming his own son Lokesh for the top post in the party. They are helpless as Bala Krishna chose to support Naidu as it would be his son-in-law who would be at the helm of affairs in TDP ultimately.
In this desperate situation, Hari Krishna and his son started their own political plans. As NTR is currently busy with his films and has no plans of quitting acting like his uncle Bala Krishna, he is planning his career to enter politics by 2019. Jr. NTR’s father Hari Krishna is also annoyed with the treatment meted out to his son and keeping himself aloof. Though Hari Krishna joined his brother-in-law Chandrababu when he launched his ‘Vastunnaa Meekosam’ pada yatra on October 2, last year, he has not involved in it afterwards. Jr. NTR who declared several times that he would walk along with Chandrababu some time during the yatra, did not. He just visited Naidu when he fell off a dais and sustained injuries.
Despite NTR declaring that he had nothing to do with his follower and Gudivada MLA Kodali Nani joining the YSR Congress, neither Balayya, nor Chandrababu believed him. Kodali Nani further ruptured the relations by attacking Chandrababu in very harsh terms, instead of silently leaving the party. When Balayya became angry and declared that he would ensure the defeat of Nani in next elections, he slapped his thigh and threw a counter challenge. Balayya and Babu feel that NTR was behind that outburst.
The instructions given by Balayya to TDP cadres of Vijawada not to associate with the recent visit of NTR to the city was a clear indication of the proxy fight. Fighting it out with equal force, NTR succeeded in organizing a large gathering of fans for his visit. Defying Chandrababu and Balayya, he got flexi banners with the pictures of his grand father N T Rama Rao and himself erected. He deliberately avoided the pictures of Chandrababu and Balayya, giving indications that he was the real heir of the Nandamuri legacy. NTR also chose to use the audio launch of ‘Baadshah’ to display his strength. He organized a massive crowd of over 20,000 people, though TDP had not thrown its weight behind him.
This deliberate defiance of Junior infuriated Balayya who brought in Kesineni Nani to replace Vallabhaneni Vamisi. As Nani, owner of the Kesineni Travels is a wealthy man who would be able to even fund the party at the time of elections, Naidu also agreed to induct him into the party and handover the responsibility of Vijayawada, taking it away from Vamsi. To show Vamsi that he was elevated, Naidu appointed him to an nondescript post in the state party. However, as it meant that he should leave Vijayawada and his hopes of playing key role in the party or getting elected to the Assembly from Gannavaram came crashing down, Vamsi chose to openly defy Naidu. Now it became clear to him that he would not be able to contest from Gannavaram as Naidu has not asked the sitting MLA Dasari Balavardhana Rao to shift to some other constituency.
Meanwhile Bala Krishna who decided to contest to the Assembly in the 2014 elections has been taking active interest in TDP politics. Bala Krishna who is displaying his angry young man (though no longer young) style in politics is taking hasty decisions. Hurting Vamsi is seen as one such hasty step. Though Vamsi said he would retire from active politics if denied of the Gannavaram ticket, sources say he would surely drift into the YSR Congress. In fact YSR Congress offered Vamsi the Gannavaram seat long back. As he had not made up his mind, that seat was reportedly offered to someone else. Still it is being said that YSRCP would accommodate him in Krishna district, should he choose to join the party.
It is also being discussed that the YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has also been closely observing the developments in the TDP and is keen to turn the situation into his favour. The picture of NTR appearing on the banner of the YSR Congress during Sharmila’s visit is seen as a deliberate signal of brotherhood given to NTR.
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