The film stars in Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu's family have rallied together to counter the growing political threat from actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.
At a closed door meeting between Naidu and the four film stars in his family on Sunday, a strategy was chalked out to take on Chiranjeevi in the next elections. The meeting was attended by popular actor Balakrishna, his brother TDP MP and actor Harikrishna and his two film star sons NTR Junior and Kalyan Ram.
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To counter Chiranjeevi's hold over the youth in the state, Naidu asked Balakrishna, NTR Junior and Kalyan Ram to play an active role in consolidating the TDP base among the youth and the women. The three actors are likely to announce their formal entry into politics with the 'Yuva Garjana' (Roar of the Youth) rally at Guntur, to be held after Dussehra.
The TDP has decided to make the rally bigger than the one organised by Chiranjeevi's supporters during his party's launch in Tirupati in August.
"I am ready to any thing and go anywhere for the party which my Tataiah (grand father) had established," NTR Junior was quoted as saying at the meeting. "I am always ready to participate in any programme".
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The meeting discussed the changing political situation in the state and the threat posed by Chiranjeevi's party Praja Rajyam. Other members of N T Ramarao's family will also attend the rally to send a clear message to the masses, specially the fans of NTR, that Naidu had the support of the entire family.
After the rally, the film stars will visit different parts of the state to invoke the name and charisma of the late leader, who was deserted by Naidu and all his children in 1995 and died a lonely death in 1996.
Such meetings will be held in Rajahmundry, Vijaywada, Kurnool, Chittoor and other places and the fan clubs of Balakrishna and NTR Junior will be involved in organising them.
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"The NTR family will also be taking up welfare programmes under the banner of NTR Trust and Basava Tarakam Trust to dispel the notion that the family members were approaching the people only for their votes," informed sources said.
Naidu has got the much needed backing from the influential NTR clan at a time when Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam is turning out to be a bigger political threat to the TDP than any other party. Several senior TDP leaders have deserted the party and joined Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam during the last fortnight.
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"The Telugu film industry has been clearly divided into two major camps. The fight is now basically between two power families --NTR and Chiranjeevi. If the NTR family has four actors helping the TDP, Chiranjeevi too has three more heroes on his side, his brothers Pavan Kalyan and Nagendra Babu and his nephew Allu Arjun," says a long time expert of the Telugu film industry.
Though Naidu had completely sidelined NTR's children during his nine year long rule, there are several reasons for Naidu and his in-laws to come closer now. Naidu badly needs the support of his family members to return to power and has taken several well calculated measures to patch up with the extended family.
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His son Lokesh married Balakrishna's daughter Brahmini. Naidu also reinstated Harikrishna in a prominent position in the party and nominated him to the Rajya Sabha to earn the much needed good will of the family.
NTR's daughter and Naidu's sister-in-law Purandareshwari, however, continues to oppose him. A minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, Purandareshwari continues to target Naidu for betraying her father in 1995, when Naidu had revolted against NTR and captured power.
Both Purandareshwari and her husband D Venkateshwara Rao are likely to be fielded on Congress tickets for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections respectively.
Image: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu with Harekrishna, Balakrishna, Junior NTR and Kalyan Ram.
Photograph: Snapsindia
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