Babu-Hari cold war spills out in the open

Hyderabad: The TDP which has been silent over the resignation of N Harikrishna from the Rajya Sabha and his proposed bus yatra in support of United Andhra seems to be directed against the party leader. What is considered to be a cold war so far between Naidu and Harikrishna seems to be heading for a sort of open fight between the two camps. While Harikrishna is bent upon going ahead with his bus yatra, the TDP leaders for the first time have openly alleged that this was part of the game plan by the Congress party and that Harikrishna’s sister and Union Minister D Purandeswari was behind it.

Making caustic remarks against Harikrishna, K E Krishnamurty said that the Rajya Sabha MP had never spoken in the parliament on any issue so far. He cannot even write his own resignation letter. But such a man had released an open letter. He alleged that it was his sister Purandeswari who was behind all this and it was she who drafted the open letter.

Other MPs like CM Ramesh, MP Shiva Prasad and Muddu Krishnamma Naidu also fired salvos against Harikrishna for defying party line and alleged that it was part of Congress game plan to try to weaken the TDP. They further said that the proposed bus Yatra was also part of the Congress conspiracy and to set the stage for political future of Harikrishna’s son Jr NTR.

Such comments coming from Krishnamurty who is a trusted lieutenant of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu assumes significance. The TDP MPs who are set to launch agitation in the premises of Parliament House from Monday said that when Congress MP Kavuri Samabsiva Rao resigned from the Lok Sabha protesting against non-inclusion in the Union cabinet, the government kept the resignation pending for several months but in the case of Harikrishna it acted at a lightning speed. The rift between Harikrishna and Naidu began almost two years back when the flexis of Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh appeared at the venue of Mahanadu. This was seen as signal that Lokesh was set to play a bigger role in the party.

This made Harikrishna and his son Jr NTR sulking. Subsequently, both the father and son have been slowly distancing from the party activities. Harikrishna also did not show much interest during Naidu’s Vastunna Mee Kosam walkathon. Jr NTR also kept away from the padayatra. In the meantime, another senior leader from Srikakulam Tammineni Sitaram had quit TDP and joined YSRCP. It may be mentioned here that Sitaram had earlier quit TDP and joined Prajarajyam party and later returned to TDP.