Fallout of the TDP Vijayawada unit president Vallabhaneni Vamsi episode, said to be the latest example of the widening gap between the TDP leadership and the Jr NTR family and friends. TDP founder late NT Ramarao's son and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna is believed to have asked his brother-in-law and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to act tough against Vijayawada TDP leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi for his bonhomie with their rival Jaganmohan Reddy.
According to sources, at a meeting two days ago, Naidu told party senior leaders that in the bypolls, only actor Balakrishna would campaign for the party. It was also decided that Jr NTR would be told not to participate in the election campaign.
According to highly-placed sources, Balaiah's anger forced Naidu to react with an unusual speed in serving a show-cause notice to Vamsi on Saturday. On the otherhand, Junior NTR was furious at Naidu as TDP followers were called for the Krishna district bandh the day his new film 'Dammu' was released
The latest controversy was triggered by Vamsi publicly shaking hands with YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. The TDP at the behest of party president N Chandrababu Naidu responded immediately with a show-cause notice to Vamsi.
Adding fuel to the fire, hate messages asking the NTR family fans not to support Jr NTR's latest film 'Dammu' circulated across the state. "The real heir of NTR is 'Simha' Balakrishna and not Junior NTR. Don't watch his movie Dammu," is said to be the content of the text message, said the sources. Apparently, the messages were circulated by Balaiah fans and the TDP cadres.
27th April, 2012: Jr NTR's 'Dammu' release date - TDP called Bundh date
The TDP along with other political parties had given a bandh call on April 27, which incidentally coincided with the release of the Jr NTR film. Krishna district bandh call given by TDP, which coincided with 'Dammu' film release, was seen as a deliberate attempt by Babu to undermine Jr.NTR..
Adding to this, Jr NTR's photo was missing in the posters of 'Adhinayakudu,' the forthcoming picture of Balakrishna. While the pictures of all the Nandamuri family members are there on the poster, only Junior NTR was missing. Even during the recent audio release function of `Dammu,' there were no Nandamuri family members, lending credence to the speculations that the Nandamuri and Naidu families are drifting away from each another. Another factor that is said to have contributed to the falling out is that a private news channel with which Jr NTR's father is associated has recently started airing anti-TDP and pro-Jagan stories.
Balakrishna refused to comment on the messages controversy and the Vamsi episode. Instead, he said that he was ready to take up the party campaign for the bypolls if the party president asks him so.
