Amid ostentation and boisterous sloganeering, Vijayawada Congressman Devineni Rajasekhar alias Nehru returned to the Telugu Desam fold, demonstrating selective amnesia of whatever he had spoken against Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP supremo and Chief Minister. It was a kind of homecoming of a prodigal son.
Nehru’s claim on the public dais at a grandiose function marking his reentry into the TDP that Chandrababu Naidu got him a ministerial berth in 1994 when NTR romped home with thumping majority was the mother of all lies. Nehru and Naidu may not have been at loggerheads then, but surely they were not brothers in arms.
Nehru heaped encomiums, giving a quiet go-by to his crass-styled attacks for two decades, on Naidu.
We are not dwelling about Nehru’s life until he became a minister. Once he is into NTR’s Cabinet, he was very closely associated with NTR until the last breath of the latter. It was Nehru who brought fish “pulusu” which the legendary politician savoured the most, a few hours before his death. Nehru stuck to the principle of sailing with NTR, which endeared him to his constituents.
After the demise of NTR, Nehru joined the Congress and remained with the Congress in spite of the numerous vagaries he and the party passed through in the last 20 years. Nehru was perhaps the bitterest critic of Chandrababu Naidu for several years.
Soon after the “backstabbing” episode through which Naidu usurped power from NTR and ousted him even from the presidency of the party, Nehru was one of the foot-soldiers fighting against Naidu on behalf of NTR Camp in the infantry.
He called NTR family names for not siding with the patriarch in the palace coup and said they are “piglets”. “NTR santhaanam pandi santhaanam.” (NTR’s family is like a pig’s family). The Vijayawada strongman went to the extent of saying NTR gave birth to several kids like a pig gives birth to many.
Angered by this, N Harikrishna, NTR’s son and Transport minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinet at that time, had written to his father highlighting the remarks of Nehru which were indeed in bad taste. That NTR declined to grant an audience to his son to hear a petition against his son and Harikrishna had submitted the letter at the security and left is a different matter.
Nehru showered choicest of abuses on Naidu almost in an unparliamentary and unprintable language in a TV interview – Open Heart with RK – in ABN Andhra Jyothy channel. And, not very long ago.
In fact, the TDP, in its avaricious urge to gobble up leaders of all sections – friends and foes – from all parties, has been admitting arch rivals and trying to keep the flock together. Take the cases of Gottipati Hanumantha Rao and Karanam Balaram from Prakasam district. Same with Paritala Sunitha ad JC Diwakar Reddy; P Ramasubba Reddy and D Adinarayana Reddy; Gangula Pratap Reddy and Bhuma Nagi Reddy.
When Vangaveeti Ratna Kumari had joined the TDP, while Nehru joined the Congress, all those who knew Vijayawada politics were taken by surprise.
Either Chandrababu Naidu’s tolerance levels increased and shock-absorbers have become stronger, or this is a political experiment that may boomerang at an appropriate time. For, those who willingly became political turncoats for pecuniary and other benefits, would not even wink to crossover if their selfish goals are at stake.
Staunch supporters of Telugu Desam too vehemently criticized the move to admit Nehru into the party. A serious observation by an analyst who closely watches and supports the TDP felt that Nehru’s joining is of no use to the TDP. He would not bring any additional vote bank even in terms of caste. On the other hand, the party, which is consolidating its position among Kapus in the last few years, may lose some base there. The reasons are obvious. This move of admitting Nehru into the party angered even staunch loyalists of the TDP and they are cursing Nara Lokesh with the proverbial bell, book and candle, for “wreaking havoc” in the party by opening a Pandora’s Box.
Political dynamics sometime click by fluke and backfire, if ill-luck has it.
