NTR family scion banks on legacy

hyderabad — TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao’s granddaughter N. Venkata Suhasini, who is contesting the Telangana Assembly election from Kukatpally constituency in Greater Hyderabad, is banking on her lineage.

The presence of Suhasini in the electoral fray in Telangana is significant as the top leadership of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) moved to Andhra Pradesh following the bifurcation of the undivided state.

TDP has fielded Suhasini, daughter of former Minister N. Harikrishna, who died in a road accident this year.

Suhasini, 43, is a social activist and is banking on her lineage to win the election from this prestigious constituency, which has considerable a number of voters with their roots in Andhra Pradesh.

However, the family of the late actor-turned-politician NTR stands divided in the campaigning.

Suhasini’s aunt and Union Minister N. Purandeswari hit the cam-

paign trail in Kukatpally not for her niece but for M. Kantha Rao, the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Purandeswari, daughter of NTR, was a Minister in the UPA government but she quit the Congress party and joined the BJP after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP, which is part of opposition grand alliance led by the Congress, is contesting 13 seats in the December 7 election to the 119-member Telangana Assembly. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister

and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu is expected to campaign for Suhasini. Naidu is the son-in-law of NTR.

Paritala Sunita, a Minister in Naidu’s cabinet, was in the constituency to conduct road shows in support of Suhasini.

NTR’s actor son and TDP legislator N. Balakrishna has already announced that he will campaign for his niece. Suhasini’s brothers and popular actors Junior NTR and Kalyan Ram are also likely to address meetings in her support.