BalaKrishna Ready to Contest Against Chiranjeevi

Hyderabad, Jan 29: Film star and Telugu Desam Party leader Nandamuri Balakrishna is ready to carry his reel life rivalry with mega star and Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi to real life--politics, to be precise.

"I am ready to face Chiranjeevi in the forthcoming assembly election if my party high command decides to field me against him," Balakrishna, son of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao, told reporters at Hindupur in Anantapur district today.

Son of TDP founder-president N T Rama Rao, Balakrishna launched his political campaign on behalf of TDP from Hindupur, a constituency earlier represented by his late father.

Balaiah, as he is popularly called, said the main fight in the elections would be between TDP and ruling Congress. "Praja Rajyam Party is not a force to reckon with," he remarked.

Responding to the talk that he should be made the Chief Minister in case TDP returned to power, Balaiah said "Chandrababu Naidu is our chief ministerial candidate. There is no other candidate in contention."

Referring to his elder sister and Union minister of state for Human Resources Development Daggubati Purandareswari, Balaiah said personal relations between them were intact.

"She is unfortunately sailing with the wrong party (Congress). If she has a change of mind, we will welcome her and her MLA husband Daggubati Venkateswara Rao into TDP," he added.

Asserting that Telugu people were real successors of NTR, Balaiah said they were only heirs of his aspirations.

Balaiah later addressed a road show in Hindupur in the company of his elder brother and Rajya Sabha member Nandamuri Harikrishna -- and recalled his late father's attachment with the town.

He spit fire on Congress accusing it of failing on all fronts. "Corruption was ruling the roost under Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy while the state government has grossly failed in law and order maintenance. Acid attacks on women had become common while violent crimes too had shot up", he alleged.

"The Congress government has once again mortgaged the Telugu pride in New Delhi. Only TDP can restore it," Balaiah charged.

The turnout for Balakrishna's first-ever road show in Hindupur, after he formally re-joined active politics through the Yuva Garjana (roar of youth) rally in Guntur on November 5, had been very high.
(Source Zeenews)