Smart move by Jr NTR

Hyderabad: In the recent Telangana Assembly elections, actor Jr NTR did not fall into the trap allegedly set for him by Telugu Desam president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. To get Jr NTR to commit himself to poll campaigning, Mr Naidu had fielded his sister Nandamuri Suhasini from Kukatpally constituency.

Mr Naidu apparently thought that Jr NTR and his brother actor Nandamuri Kalyan Ram would campaign for their sister and in other constituencies for the party as well.

But Jr NTR and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram merely wished their sister and did not join the campaign. Jr NTR’s campaign may not have changed the result but could have affected his career, a member of Nandamuri family said after the results.

After Nandamuri Harikrishna’s sudden death in a road accident, Mr Naidu tried to give the impression that he supported the Nanda-muri family. Harikris-hna had maintained his distance from Mr Naidu when he was alive and was also a strong critic.

After his death, his sons Jr NTR and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram decided to maintain their distance from Mr Naidu like their father.

In a strategy, Mr Naidu decided to field Suhasini from Kukat-pally at the last minute. Earlier, Mr Naidu promised to give the Kukatpally ticket to former minister E. Peddi Reddy. TD leaders said if Mr Peddi Reddy was fielded, the result would have been different. Knowing Mr Naidu’s strategy, Jr NTR and his brother Kalyan Ram behaved in a clever manner, a follower of the Nandamuri family said.