Telugu Desam founder-president N T Rama Rao's son and Telugu film star Nandamuri Balakrishna has jumped into the poll fray for the first time as the party announced his name for Hindupur Assembly seat in Anantapuram district.
Hindupur was once represented by NTR himself and later for a term by his elder son Nandamuri Harikrishna. Balakrishna will be the third from the family to contest from the seat that has been a TDP stronghold.
Ever since the TDP's formation, Balakrishna always campaigned for it in every election but never entered the electoral battle. His formal entry into electoral politics had been in doubt till a few days ago as he left the decision of fielding him to party supremo Chandrababu Naidu.
Balakrishna recently went on a whirlwind tour of the state to celebrate the success of his latest blockbuster 'Legend'. Buoyed by the public response, he is said to have finally decided to enter the electoral battlefield and discussed the issue with Chandrababu.
The TDP announced his name in the third list of candidates on Monday and Balakrishna is expected to file his nomination on April 16. Meanwhile, most of the Congress leaders who joined the TDP in recent days were given tickets for the May 7 elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Former minister Thota Narasimham has been given the Kakinada Lok Sabha ticket to take on Union Minister M M Pallam Raju. Other former ministers Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju, Pithani Satyanarayana, T G Venkatesh and Galla Aruna Kumari have been fielded by TDP in their respective constituencies.
Galla's son and Amara Raja Batteries vice chairman Jayadev Galla has been given the Lok Sabha ticket from Guntur while sitting MP from Guntur, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, who too joined the TDP, has been fielded from Narsaraopet in the same district.
Another former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao has been shifted from Anakapalle to Bhimili Assembly segment in Visakhapatnam district, while Erasu Pratap Reddy has been shifted to Panyam from Srisailam in Kurnool district.
Congress' Bhimili MLA Avanti Srinivasa Rao, who joined the TDP recently, has been given the Lok Sabha ticket from Anakapalle. Though Ganta Srinivasa Rao wanted to fight the parliamentary election, TDP chose to field him for Assembly.
Other Congress leaders who joined the TDP like Mandali Buddha Prasad, Shilpa Mohan Reddy, G Kutuhalamma and Labbi Venkata Swamy were also tickets for the Assembly.
Veteran Congress MLA J C Diwakar Reddy will be the TDP candidate from Anantapuram parliamentary constituency while former minister Adala Prabhakar Reddy, who returned to his parent party, has been fielded for the Nellore Lok Sabha seat.
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