NT Rama Rao

Hyderabad, May 17: Nandamuri Balakrishna was presented a silver comb on his 14th birthday by father and actor N.T. Rama Rao. Now Balakrishna, an actor pushing 50, is eyeing the reins of the party NTR founded.

Spurred by the success of his latest film Simha, Balakrishna has set sights on the Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) mantle he believes was usurped by his brother-in-law Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu had opposed NTR’s move in 1985 to name Balakrishna as his political heir, saying it would perpetuate family succession. Balakrishna was 25 then and NTR the chief minister.

Now, Balakrishna has signalled he wants to break the 25-year-old jinx in politics. Last week, he declared he was keen to take the party top post and contest elections. Balakrishna’s move has led to a churning within the Desam, where some want him inducted as a full-time functionary to revive the glamour and charm of NTR, attributes on which the party was set up in 1980.

This section feels Balakrishna’s star status will help the party recover from the string of poll reverses — including the debacle in last year’s Assembly and Lok Sabha polls — and counter the appeal of star Chiranjeevi’s party.

But others feel Balakrishna is also trying to upstage another possible family rival — NTR junior, the Desam founder’s grandson who is also a popular star. NTR junior’s father is Harikrishna, NTR’s third son. But Naidu himself does not appear to be ready to bow out and wants to usher son Nara Lokesh into politics in 2014.