HYDERABAD: A rebel within in the family politics of
Telugu Desam Party (TDP), actor-politician
Nandamuri Harikrishna rose up to the level of a cabinet minister of
Andhra Pradesh and Rajya Sabha member. His political career had seen several ups and downs since the 1980s, when he drove Chaitanya Ratham's campaign vehicle for his father NT Rama Rao, after TDP was founded as an only effective alternative to Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
As the third son of former CM N T Rama Rao, Harikrishna's struggle within the family politics was not a smooth journey as sometimes he sided with his brother in law and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and many a times raised his voice against Naidu.
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When N Chandrababu Naidu differed with his father in law NTR and took over the reigns of the TDP, Harikrishna supported the rebellion initially and got a berth in Naidu's cabinet in 1995.
Harikrishna got elected to AP Legislative Assembly in 1996. He served as a cabinet minister for road transport till 1999.
However, Harikrishna rebelled against Naidu and founded 'Anna TDP' on January 26, 1999. Anna TDP contested in the 1999 elections but could not win a single seat. Harikrishna then accused that TDP wanted to bury the legacy of NTR.
While his brother and famous Tollywood actor Nandamuri Balakrishna sided completely with Naidu, Harikrishna was always a rebel in the family politics of TDP.
Also read: Nandamuri Harikrishna was driving at 160km/hour, says Nalgonda SP
Nandamuri Harikrishna was supposed to celebrate his 62nd birthday on September 2.
He was born in 1956 at
Nimmakuru here in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. He did his SSC at Senior Secondary School in Chennai, while his father NTR was acting in films. He was married to Lakshmi Kumari, and is survived by a daughter and three sons.
Harikrishna started his film career as a child artist in Sri Krishnavataram in 1967. He acted in three other films: Talla Pellama, Dana Veera Sura Karna and Tatamma Kala as a child artist. After a break of several decades, his films -- Sri Ramulayya, Seetha Rama Raju, Laahiri Laahiri Laahirilo and Seetayya -- proved big hits in Tollywood.
In April 2008, he got elected to Rajya Sabha. He served as a member of committee on science and technology, environment and forests, committee on water resources and committee on industries, during his sting in Rajya Sabha.
Tollywood producer Tammareddy Bhardwaj said on his death, "Harikrishna was a straightforward man. His political career and celebrity life is an open book. It is an unfortunate accident that resulted in his death."
