After meet with Shah, speculation rife on Junior NTR’s entry into politics
Vijayawada: Speculation is rife on Junior NTR venturing into politics following a meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah had with him, but the Telugu Desam was quick to dismiss the meeting as a casual one.
Various political party leaders were confused over the purpose of the meeting even as the Telugu Desam opted to give it no significance. Former minister and YSRC leader Kodali Venkateswara, who was known to be close to Jr NTR, however attached great significance to the meeting and the BJP has welcomed it.
The YSRC MLA said prime minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah will not talk to anyone without a political agenda. Amit Shah might have met Jr NTR to expand the BJP and there is a possibility of him campaigning all over the country, he said.
Jr NTR was recently elevated as a pan-India star and his stardom has crossed the borders of the two Telugu states. BJP might be thinking of utilizing his services at the national level, he said.
The YSRC MLA said it could not be that the meeting between Shah and Jr NTR was held for Shah to appreciate Jr NTR’s role in a recent movie. “Amit Shah spent 45 minutes with Jr NTR, offering him dinner, which was a special treat.”
He criticised Chandrababu Naidu, saying that these days neither PM Modi nor home minister Amit Shah gave any appointment to the TD chief.
He said, “Pawan Kalyan who is in alliance with the BJP behaves strangely. When the PM or the home minister gives him an appointment, he does not meet them. Hence, it is likely that the saffron party started its strategies to strengthen the BJP in the two states with the help of Jr NTR.”
BJP state secretary Vishnuwardhan Reddy welcomed the meeting between Jr NTR and Amit Shah. He said Jr NTR worked dedicatedly for the TD during the 2009 elections but he was kept aside after the election. BJP is already in an alliance with Pawan Kalyan. If Jr NTR sides with it, it will boost the BJP prospects in the two states. BJP will give a prominent place to Pawan and Junior, he said.
Meanwhile, former MLC and TD leader Buddha Venkanna felt there was no political agenda in the meeting between Junior with Amit Shah. “There is nothing wrong in having such a meeting as Amit Shah probably met Junior to appreciate his acting skills in the recent blockbuster film. Earlier too, Nara Lokesh and Chandrababu Naidu praised the acting of Junior. There is no politics in the meeting and there is no threat to TD,” he said.
