HYDERABAD: The rift between the Nara and Nandamuri families remains in the absence of any effort for a patch-up between the families on Sunday. Sources in the Telugu Desam fear that the rift, if persists, may have an impact on the party’s annual conclave, Mahanadu, to be held in the last week of May where the party will formally elect a new president. In an indirect admission of the feud between the two families, the party today charged Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari with trying to destabilise or even split the party with the help of the Congress.
A day after his virtual revolt in the form a statement against TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Harikrishna did not bother to clarify that he was not against the Nara family’s dominance of the party. Harikirshna, who perceives himself as the genuine political heir of NTR and claims legacy to his father’s ideals, might cause further trouble to Naidu as the Mahanadu approaches.
The widening gulf between the Nara and Nanadamuri families has is likely result in Nara Lokesh-NTR Jr fight for the reins of the party as Naidu and NTR’ sons and daughters give way to the new generation of leaders when the time comes.
But, for the record the TDP accused Daggubati Purandareswari of adopting “divisive” tricks to weaken the party. “The Congress fears that a strong TDP will checkmate Sonia Gandhi’s efforts to make her son Rahul Gandhi prime minister in 2014,’’ party spokesman Varla Ramaiah said and vowed to come out with evidence of Purandeswari’s machinations to destabilise the TDP.
According to sources, Harikrishna was opposing the moves of party chief and his brother-in-law Naidu to promote his son Lokesh Naidu and field him in the fray at the next elections. Thus the family feud has now turned into a war between the heir-apparents Lokesh and NTR Jr.
Asked about the feud, NTR Jr did not deny the rift. “My father (Harikrishna) will react to that”, he merely said at a private function here.
The sources said that NTR Jr was unhappy with the attitude of Balakrishna, who was reluctant to be dragged into the family drama. NTR Jr was also sore at the attitude of Lokesh who reportedly made sarcastic remarks against NTR Jr.
Though the party sources are not coming on record to say that Daggubati Purandareswari was behind Harikrishna’s outburst, Naidu thinks Purandeswari has become a pawn in the hands of Sonia Gandhi and is destabilising the TDP. His thinking got expression in the words of Ramaiah who said, “Purandeswari is playing a prominent role against TDP. She should disclose what assurances she got from Sonia Gandhi for destabilising the TDP.’’
Though party seniors expected that Harikrishna would set the record straight before the media today, it did not happen. Harikrishna is avowedly anti-Congress and is unlikely to support it. But, if any member of NTR family launches a party, he may support it. His reviving his defunct outfit, Anna TDP, also cannot be ruled out.
