Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao’s eldest-son-in-law Daggubati Venkateswara Rao on Sunday met YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at Lotus Pond in Hyderabad and is likely to join the party.
Venkateswara Rao, whose wife D. Purandeswari is with the BJP, met Reddy at his residence along with his son Hitesh Chenchuram, who is an aspirant for a YSR Congress ticket for the ensuing elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
After his meeting with Reddy, Rao, who is also a relative of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, told reporters that the duo discussed working with the opposition party and would make an official announcement soon in this regard.
Rao also clarified that Purandeswari will remain in the BJP. “She will remain with the party or retire from politics. That is her personal decision,” he said.
Purandeswari was a Union Minister in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet before joining the BJP after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Venkateswara Rao was not active in politics since 2014.
The decision of Venkateswara Rao and his son to join the YSR Congress is the latest political twist in the NTR family. As Venkateswara Rao is known as an arch rival of Chandrababu Naidu, his induction in the YSR Congress would be significant for the party ahead of the simultaneous elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
(With inputs from IANS)
