Balakrishna, Chandrababu Naidu ‘star’ in Telugu Desam power struggle

Hyderabad: Actor Balakrishna is most probably heading for a showdown with his brother-in-law and Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.

According to sources in the TD, Balakrishna has sent word to the TD president through his emissaries insisting that he hand over the party reins to him or at least make him party working president.

Recently, when a few party leaders, including an MP, met Balakrishna to know his intentions about contesting in the upcoming elections, he reportedly severely criticised the party leaders and the way it was being run.

He apparently suggested that all the  big leaders of TD, including Mr Chandrababu Naidu, should contest for LS polls, leaving the state affairs to him so that he could bring the TD back to power.

When the MP asked whether he would be contesting in the Lok Sabha or Assembly polls, Balakrishna said, “Unless I am given a key post, I will not contest; why should I contest, and for what?”

When word got back to Mr Chandrababu Naidu about Balakrishna’s outburst, he was not only upset with the way Balakrishna had behaved with the party leaders, but was irked with demands like making him the party working president.