In UP saga, throwback to a script starring NTR, Naidu

THE POLITICAL developments in the Samajwadi Party bear an uncanny resemblance to the coup staged by N Chandrababu Naidu against his father-in-law, then Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N T Rama Rao, in 1995. There is another uncanny similarity: the symbol of the TDP, like the SP, is cycle.

The only thing different is that NTR was the CM at the time, while in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, who has raised the banner of revolt against father Mulayam Singh Yadav, holds that post.

In nine days of hectic politicking that started on August 22, 1995, at the Dolphin Hotel at Vizag, Naidu had dislodged NTR as both the CM and TDP president. He took over as CM five days later after 198 of the 216 TDP MLAS had supported him. Only the remaining 18 MLAS had remained loyal to NTR who, heartbroken, had retreated to his home in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills. Most of the 18 too had later joined Naidu.

NTR had founded the TDP on March 29, 1982, and under his leadership, the party had won three elections, including his last one in December 1994, in which the TDP had secured a record 216 seats in the 294member Assembly.

What had weakened NTR, however, was his deteriorating health following a stroke in 1992. Discontent had been also brewing in the TDP over the alleged interference of Lakshmi Parvathy, who had become NTR’S partner after his first wife expired. NTR had married Parvathy later.

“TDP MLAS, party leaders and even bureaucrats were unhappy about the power centre that Lakshmi Parvathy had created. There was a time when she ran the party as well as the government. There was talk that with NTR’S health failing, he would hand over the party’s reins to her. NTR had also become spiritual and started wearing saffron clothes and claimed that he was going on the path of Swami Vivekananda. NTR’S family too drifted away from him mainly because of Lakshmi Parvathy. NTR’S son Balakrishna, a top Telugu actor, could have taken matters into his hands but he was not a politician and he too chose to support Naidu. In fact, the entire family except NTR’S daughter D Purandeswari supported Naidu. Naidu also got support of the media,” recalls a senior MLA.

Adds a TDP leader, “In spite of vehement protests by NTR and Lakshmi Parvathy, who called Naidu a backstabber and Aurangzeb among other things, the coup went ahead because it was in the interest of the party. We still believe that had Naidu not taken over the reins from NTR, the TDP would have disintegrated under Lakshmi Parvathy. The script may be a little different today in UP, but the story is the same.”

Later, after promising to give important positions in the TDP and government to NTR family members, including NTR’S other sonin-law Daggubati Venkateshwara Rao, Purandeshwari’s husband, Naidu had reneged.

Although NTR’S sons N Harikrishna and N Balakrishna have been elected to the Assembly or the Lok Sabha, or nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the TDP since, the uneasiness continues.

However, Naidu, now the sitting Andhra Pradesh CM, hasn’t looked back.