Stage set for NTR's family to enter politics

     
HYDERABAD: The stage is set for the political "arangetram" of the second and third generation stars of the NTR clan.
     
The Yuva Garjana (roar of the youth), being organised by the Telugu Desam Party near Guntur tomorrow, will be the platform for NTR's son Nandamuri Balakrishna and grandsons Kalyan Ram and Taraka Ratna to make a formal entry into politics.
     
Another "Nandamuri hero" Junior NTR, the most popular among the new generation actors, was also supposed to start his political career but his pre-occupation with a film shooting has forced him to abstain from the Yuva Garjana.
     
Balakrishna, who is brother-in-law of TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, will be the cynosure of all eyes at the rally, with a section of the NTR's family even projecting him as a future Chief Ministerial candidate.
     
The TDP's hopes of returning to power in the state are virtually pinned on Balakrishna who has enough charisma to counter Chiranjeevi, the Telugu mega star who floated his own political party Praja Rajyam.
     
Balakrishna's nephew Taraka Ratna had recently created a flutter when he suggested that Balakrishna be made the state Chief Minister in the event of TDP's victory in the 2009 elections and Chandrababu Naidu be sent to New Delhi for playing a key role in the national politics.
     
This has stirred a debate in the party but another son of NTR Harikrishna, also a Rajya Sabha member promptly sought to put the issue at rest saying his brother-in-law Chandrababu Naidu would be the next Chief Minister.
     
"Balayya (as Balakrishna is called by his fans) may become the CM in future," Harikrishna felt.

Balakrishna has so far not made his political ambitions clear and is expected to speak out only at the Guntur rally.
 
Balakrishna, who acted in about 90 films so far having started as a child artiste, used to campaign for the TDP when his father NTR was at the helm.
 
Subsequently he stayed away from politics after Chandrababu Naidu took over reins of the TDP. Following the marriage of Balakishna's daughter Brahmani to his son Lokesh, Naidu has succeed in prevailing upon the former to take to active politics and work for the TDP's victory.
 
Yuva Garjana will be the third in the series of mass rallies being organised by the TDP in the run-up to the 2009 elections.
 
First it was the Rythu Garjana (roar of farmers) followed by the BC Garjana and now the Yuva Garjana. A Mahila Garjana will be the next in line.