With Andhra Pradesh's YSRCP government naming one of the 13 new districts after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, his wife Lakshmi Parvathi has hailed the move.
Parvathi, who is chairperson of Telugu Academy, was present at NTR district collectorate when Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually inaugurated the new districts from his official residence in Amaravati.
Parvathi, who is the second wife of the NTR, said though the party founded by the late leader and his family did not honour him, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has paid fitting tribute by naming a new district as NTR.
The new district with Vijayawada as the district headquarters has been carved out of Krishna, the native district of N.T. Rama Rao, the actor-turned politician who was popularly known as NTR.
Parvathi said with the naming of a district after NTR, a wish of his followers and fans has been fulfilled. "Jagan Mohan Reddy who has nothing to do with TDP or NTR family has honoured him. He has done what NTR's own party and family could not do," she said.
She said TDP president and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had done nothing to perpetuate the memory of NTR. She alleged that Naidu hijacked TDP after betraying NTR.
Legendary actor NTR had created a record by coming to power in then undivided Andhra Pradesh within nine months after floating TDP in 1982 on the plank of Telugu self-respect.
In 1992, while in opposition he married his biographer Laksmi Parvathi. This was his second marriage. His first wife Basvatarakam had died in 1985.
NTR and Parvathi announced their marriage in 1993.A year later, NTR-led TDP rode back to power with a landslide victory.
However, in August 1995, NTR's children from his first wife led by his son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu staged a revolt and captured power, citing growing interference in party and administration by Lakshmi Parvathi.
NTR was heart-broken over the revolt and claimed his party to be the real TDP. On January 18, 1996, NTR died of cardiac arrest. He was 72.
During his 'padyatra' before 2019 elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised that Krishna district will be renamed as NTR district.
After the government issued a notification for creating new districts in January this year, TDP said that it welcomed the move to honour its founder. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP dismissed the allegations of the ruling party that it was opposed to the decision.
The TDP leaders said they welcome any move to honour the late leader no matter who makes it. They, however, said the people would not believe YSRCP government's so-called love for NTR as the same party is involved in destroying statues of NTR and it stopped the work on a memorial for the late leader in Amaravati. They said Jagan Mohan Reddy even changed the name of NTR canteens.
NTR's daughter Daggubati Purandeswari, a leader of BJP, has also welcomed the move of Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Purandeswari, also a former union minister, hailed the decision.
"As the daughter of great leader NTR, I welcome the decision to name the district where he was born after him. In fact this had been the wish of every person in the district. The wish is getting fulfilled now," she said.
