In an interest development in Andhra Pradesh politics, senior actor and former Rajya Sabha member Manchu Mohan Babu met Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday and held lengthy confabulations.
Mohan Babu came down to Naidu’s residence in Hyderabad and spent for over an hour. Though it is not exactly known what transpired between the two, but the TDP leaders say both had discussed the present political situation in Andhra Pradesh.
The senior actor left the place without speaking to media and there was no comment from the TDP president either. But given the serious differences between Mohan Babu and Naidu in the past, the meeting naturally evoked a lot of curiosity.
It was only last month that Mohan Babu declared that he was associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“I am a BJP man and I strongly desire that BJP should come to power at the Centre again. I may be a hero in films, but Modi is the hero of the nation," he said.
The senior actor, who began his political career with the TDP during the regime of N T Rama Rao before 1994, later became a Rajya Sabha member.
He later differed with Naidu and came out of the TDP. He used to make serious comments against Naidu later.
In March 2019, Mohan Babu, along with students and staff members of his institution, staged a dharna on the Tirupati road in protest against non-release of fees under fee reimbursement scheme by the Naidu government.
He later joined the YSR Congress party in the presence of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and campaigned for the party. He gave an open call to the people to make Jagan as the chief minister.
But after Jagan came to power in May 2019, Mohan Babu didn’t get any favours from the YSRC government. Though Mohan Babu met Jagan a couple of times later, he gradually distanced himself from the YSRCP.
Though his son Manchu Vishnu married Jagan's cousin, Mohan Babu maintained safe distance from the party.
There was a talk that he would be given Rajya Sabha ticket by Jagan; or at least TTD trust board chairman post or even made AP Film Development Corporation chairman. But he didn't get anything.
Apparently, Mohan Babu was upset with Jagan for not inviting him to the talks with Telugu film industry but confining it to a few heroes like Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu. Later, he claimed himself to be a BJP man.
Now, his meeting with Naidu has once again triggered fresh speculations in state politics. It will be interesting to see what Mohan Babu would do now.
