It has been more than 27 years since the “backstabbing” episode in Telugu Desam Party took place in the combined Andhra Pradesh regime, but it still remains fresh in the memories of senior media persons and politicians who were witnesses to that event.
TDP founder and then chief minister N T Rama Rao was pulled down from power by his own son-in-law N Chandrababu Naidu by engineering a revolt along with the party MLAs. He usurped the party and the CM post from NTR.
The episode is still recalled by Naidu’s detractors and critics and whenever somebody talks about “backstabbing in politics,” people remember only Naidu.
But on Friday, former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu recalled the role of some women MLAs in the August 1995 backstabbing episode. In fact, the incident happened six months before the revolt by Naidu against NTR.
When Venkaiah was addressing a meeting at Penamaluru constituency in Krishna district, some women came to him and touched his feet. He prevented them and said he would feel scared whenever somebody touches his feet.
He then recalled an incident that happened at the residence of NTR six months before the August 1995 backstabbing episode.
“I was talking to him when some women MLAs came there and touched his feet. When I asked NTR why they were touching his feet, he told me it was out of respect, admiration and affection,” he said.
Venkaiah said he had told NTR that it was all artificial admiration and that those women MLAs were only trying to pamper him because he was CM.
“Six months later, when NTR was dethroned from power in the infamous backstabbing episode, those six women MLAs were in the forefront in revolting against NTR,” he said.
The former Vice-President of India, however, refused to mention the names of those six women MLAs.
“I cannot reveal those names now,” Venkaiah said, amidst laughter.
