NTR's son Harikrishna rejoins Telugu Desam

Hyderabad, May 22 (IANS) Nandamuri Harikrishna, son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, Monday rejoined the Telugu Desam Party.

Harikrishna, a film actor and producer, returned to the party founded by his late father in the early 1980s and now headed by his brother-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Harikrishna, who had sided with Naidu when the latter had revolted against the party founder in 1995 but had resigned from the party a few months later, reached Naidu's residence and rejoined the party.

Talking to newsmen, he said he would work to carry forward the ideals of his father and denied that there were any differences with Naidu.

When asked about his sister Daggubati Purandareswari who joined Congress party in 2004 and became a central minister, Harikrishna said she had become a daughter-in-law of another house long ago.

Harikrishna had served as minister in Naidu's cabinet for a brief period in 1995-1996. Differences had cropped up between the two when Naidu tried to sideline him.

Claiming to be the real inheritor of his father's legacy, Harikrishna had founded an Anna Telugu Desam Party just before 1999 assembly elections but drew a blank. He then distanced himself from politics.

Naidu, who was chief minister of the state from 1995 to 2004, hoped that his return would strengthen the party. He also appealed to all those who had left the TDP for various reasons to return to the party fold.

Harikrishna is the second member of Naidu's family to make a comeback this month. Naidu's brother Ramamurthy, who had quit the party before the 2004 elections, returned a few days ago.

N.T. Rama Rao, the famous Telugu film actor popularly known as NTR, founded the TDP in 1982 and created a record of sorts by winning a landslide majority and forming the government in nine months.

Differences had cropped up in his family after he married for the second time in 1993. His son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu, a minister in his cabinet, led a revolt in 1995 and replaced him as the chief minister. NTR died in January 1996.