Even before he could heave a sigh of relief over TDP-BJP alliance surviving a serious crisis, N Chandrababu Naidu is facing a new trouble on the family front.
While he could satisfy one brother-in-law film star N Balakrishna by fielding him from Hindupur Assembly constituency, another politically ambitious brother-in-law N Harikrishna was reportedly looking towards the BJP as he failed to get a TDP ticket.Harikrishna, who had played a pivotal role in Naidu’s revolt against NT Rama Rao in 1995, is now finding himself completely marginalised. After he found his name missing even from the fifth list of party candidates, an angry Harikrishna has started exploring other options including the BJP.
Sources said that he was in touch with some of the BJP leaders hoping to get an Assembly ticket.Harikrishna hopes that as he had resigned from Rajya Sabha over Telangana issue, people of Seemandhra will support him.If Harikrishna joins the BJP, he will be a second member of NTR family to do so.Earlier his sister D Purandeswari had quit the Congress and joined the BJP and she has been fielded from Rajampeta lok Sabha constituency in Kadapa district.
But here too the family differences have come to the fore and Chandrababu Naidu was opposing the ticket to his estranged sister-in-law In another indication that not everything was honky dory in the family, TDP has completely ignored Junior NTR, son of Harikrishna. Naidu had used NTR extensively in 2009 elections as he was at the peak of his popularity at the time. But this time the party has cold shouldered him and he finds no place in TDP’s campaign strategy.
Instead the party was using Naidu’s son Nara lokesh for campaigning. Young lokesh was conducting his own road show “Yuva Parbhanjanam” in Seemandhra with an eye of the first time voters.Balakrishna, who has filed nomination from Hindupur, will also be undertaking campaign in other parts of Seemandhra.
When asked why Junior NTR was not campaigning this time Balakrishna retorted, “there is no need for the party to invite somebody”.But observers say that fielding Balakrishna in the assembly election can create a challenge for Naidu in the future as he too was eyeing the post of the Chief Ministeer of Seemandhra. He told the media in Hindupur that he will not be averse to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair if the party wants him to.