New Delhi:
Politics in Andhra Pradesh is witnessing interesting twists and turns in the run-up to the simultaneous Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha polls due in a few months. This time it is Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao’s grandson Hitesh Chenchuram who is making all the noise. NTR’s eldest son-in-law Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and his son Hitesh met YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday expressing their wish to join the opposition party in the state and contest the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections due in a few months on a YSR Congress ticket.
Rao, who was a Congress leader, hasn't been in active politics since 2014. Rao, who is TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s brother-in-law and whose wife D Purandeswari is with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), met the YSR Congress chief at his Lotus Pond home in Hyderabad.
Rao told reporters that an announcement regarding this development will be made soon. When asked if Hitesh Chenchuram wants to contest the Parchur seat, Rao said as quoted by NDTV, "It will be the party's decision and my son will abide by whatever the party says." In 2004, Rao along with his wife Purandeswari joined the Congress. He was elected to the Assembly from Parchur while Purandeswari was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bapatla. Purandeswari was a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet. But she quit the Congress to join the BJP after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Rao said that Purandeswari isn't planning to switch sides and will continue with the BJP. "She will either be with the party or retire from politics. That is her decision," he said.
This development will be significant in the politics of Andhra Pradesh as Chandrababu Naidu and Jaganmohan Reddy are arch-rivals and the latter is the Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. There will be simultaneous polls to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
The News Minute reported that Hitesh, who is presently in the United States, is in the process of relinquishing his US citizenship, following which he will announce his political plans in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2014, the TDP had bagged 102 seats in 175-member Assembly while the YSRCP had secured 67 seats.
