NTR's legacy fades in politics, even as a third generation now grows in Tollywood
As fourth of the TDP's founder's children dies a tragic death, a look at the family tree of one of Andhra's tallest leaders
THE suspected suicide of N T Rama Rao’s youngest daughter, K Uma Maheshwari, on Monday makes it the fourth child of the film star-turned-larger than life politician to die a tragic death.
NTR and wife Basvarama Tarakam, who got married in May 1943, had 12 children, including four daughters. While NTR stunned the country when he stormed to power in 1983, leading the Telugu Desam Party in its very first election, it’s his son-in-law N Chandrababu Naidu who would go on to walk away with both the party and his political legacy. NTR’s own children have remained secondary players in the TDP space, with one of NTR’s daughters moving out to forge a political career.
In the tinsel word, where they have also followed their father’s footsteps, they have had more success.
The NTR progeny to move out of the TDP circle is Daggubati Purandeswari, one of his four daughters – the others being Dr G Lokeswari, Nara Bhuvaneswari and K Uma Maheshwari. Purandewari, 63, is a general secretary in the BJP, having joined the party in 2014. Before that, she won twice as MP, having been elected from Visakhapatnam in 2009 and Bapatla in 2004 on Congress ticket, and also served as Union Minister of State. Purandeswari’s husband used to be a Congress leader before joining the YSR Congress Party of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Dr Lokeswari is a gynaecologist, while Nara Bhuvaneswari is married to Chandrababu Naidu.
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