NTR's son vows to bring TDP back to power

Hyderabad, Sep 11 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh appears heading for a political battle between Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi and the family of former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao.

NTR's son and popular film actor N. Balakrishna Thursday announced he would make all out effort to bring TDP back to power in the state.

Talking to reporters after a programme at the Basvatarakamma Cancer Hospital here, he said he would campaign for TDP in the ensuing elections.

Balaiah, as he is popularly known, along with his nephews and young actor Junior NTR and Kalyanram, will take on Chiranjeevi, who launched the Praja Rajyam party last month and is claiming to be the only alternative to the ruling Congress party.

Chiranjeevi is trying to follow the footsteps of the late NTR, who had taken politics by storm by coming to power nine months after launching the party in 1982.

NTR's son said he would also attend Yuva Grajna, a youth convention of the party scheduled to be held in Guntur.

"The youth are already with TDP. No government has done so much for youth as the TDP did," he said when asked if he would try to woo the young generation to the party.

Chiranjeevi, who bid adieu to his three-decade-long film career to enter politics, enjoys huge popularity, especially among youth.

Balakrishna confirmed his participation in the TDP campaign four days after he along with his nephews met TDP chief and his brother-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu to chalk out a strategy to counter Chiranjeevi. Balakrishna's brother and TDP leader N. Harkrishna had also attended the meeting.

Balakrishna, whose daughter was married to Naidu's son last year, played a key role in bringing the NTR family closer to Naidu.

Naidu had led a revolt against his father-in-law NTR, then chief minister, in August 1995 and took the reins of power in his hands. NTR died in January 1996.