SNAPSHOTS FROM THE LOKESH-BRAHMANI ENGAGEMENT: THE MARRIAGE IS ON AUGUST 26

It was the engagement that created a hype in Andhra like the abhiash wedding all over the country and the world. All eyes were glued to the TV to have a glimpse of Lokesh and Brahmani. TV channels were agog with news of the event, and it is the one thing that was talked about, and is still being talked about all over Andhra. Even the NRIs couldn't contain their excitement and were logging on to whatever source that could provide them the news of the engagement.

The engagement took place at a simple ceremony at Balakrishna's house and the families of all the big stars in Telugu film industry were present for the occasion.

Take a glimpse of the snapshots of the family. While Balakrishna cannot contain his excitement, Chandrababu is all smiles too.

HE WENT, HE SAW AND CAME BACK IN EXACTLY 15 MINUTES: DID JUNIOR NTR GET THE ROYAL SNUB AT LOKESH-BRAHMANI'S ENGAGEMENT?

The more he tries to get closer to the NTR family, the farther they are keeping away from him. Junior NTR, who has been desperately hankering for the love and affection of the members of the NTR family, has not been lucky till now. There have been reports of how Balakrishna had insulted him when he tried to address him as 'babai' and seek his blessings a couple of years back. Not just Balakrishna, the whole of NTR family could not digest the fame and popularity of junior NTR. Why they didn't even like the idea of the junior using NTR's name. They consider him to be a pariah, and wouldn't even touch him with a barge pole. And on Sunday, when Balakrishna was soaking in the attention of the film industry's biggies on the occasion of the engagement ceremony of Lokesh and Brahmani held at his house in Jubilee Hills, NTR too went to greet the young couple. We don't know whether he was called by the Balakrishna family, or whether he was invited by his father Harikrishna, but the enthusiastic young man went with stars in his eyes, literally, to greet the young couple. Exactly in 15 minutes, however, he walked out with a red face. The answer was obvious. He got a cold reception. Or worse still, there must have been snide remarks, the kind we see in films, about how he could have come for the engagement ceremony, and who had called him. Don't worry NTR, your success speaks for yourself, you don't need to curry favour with anyone. The man whose love and affection you deserve, the late N T Rama Rao, is up in the sky and watching their every move. And, don't forget to remember that his benign grace is always showering on you. So, as Dale Carnegie says, stop worrying and start living a life you deserve to.

Chandrababu Naidu offers Rajya Sabha post to Balakrishna, tells partymen to donate blood on actor's birthday

The Telugu Desam has offered a Rajya Sabha seat to cine star Balakrishna in an attempt to bring him into the party fold as a ‘glamorous’ campaigner. TD chief Chandrababu Naidu assured Balakrishna, his brother-in-law and son of party founder N T Rama Rao, that he would be the sole TD nominee in the Rajya Sabha polls to be held next March. Naidu believes that Balakrishna’s presence will add charisma to the TD and will help it to ride back to power in the 2009 polls. In the post-NTR era, the TD has been sorely lacking glamorous campaigners.

Sources said that the TD supremo got a promise from Balakrishna that he would actively associate with the party activities henceforth. Significantly, Balakrishna made a statement few days ago asking TD workers to unite under Naidu’s leadership and to ensure that he became chief minister again. The relationship between the two will be further cemented by the marriage between the TD supremo’s son Lokesh Naidu and Balakrishna’s daughter Brahmani on August 26 this year. TD can send only one candidate every two years to the Rajya Sabha given its strength in the Assembly.
Two candidates have been chosen from Telangana and Rayalaseema. Now it would be the turn of Coastal Andhra, to which Balakrishna belongs. The star’s birthday falls on Sunday and his fans association will be organising a big blood donation camp at Rajahmundry, where he is shooting for a film. Interestingly, TD headquarters has instructed leaders and workers in Rajahmundry to actively participate in the blood donation camp and make it a grand success. Several party leaders including former MLA G Butchaiah Chowdary and Ganni Krishna are overseeing arrangements for the camp. Naidu is also planning to induct Harikrishna, another brother-in-law, either as TD general secretary or politburo member.

Why is Chandrababu Naidu hell-bent on roping in Balakrishna into the Telugu Desam Party?

Everyone knows that Chandrababu Naidu is a master in the art of realpolitik. His detractors have even compared him with Chanakya, the Machievalli of Indian politics. And naturally. For he is known to use the right people at the right time and dump them like hot potatoes once he achieves his objective. Mohan Babu, Jayaprada, Renuka Choudary, Rammoorthy Naidu, Harikrishna, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao -- he had the knack of using all of them to rebel against NTR and usurp the chief ministership of the State in 1996. And what did he do after becoming the CM? One by one, he got rid of them.

And for more than eight years, he didn't even give them a second glance. Not even at private parties and functions. But, now, with the elections drawing near, and with the party's image plummeting in the eyes of the people, he's realised that he needs star power to pull the masses back to the party. Because the alienation of the people has been so severe that even the so-called misdeeds of the Congress party under Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, are unable to bring the TDP any closer to the people.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Chandrababu Naidu realised that it is time to play the NTR card to the hilt. So the CEO of Indian politics thought of a brilliant plan to make it a realistic ideal -- rope in Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is presently blazing a trail in the Telugu film industry, to rev up the image of the party. But, with the NTR family being wary of his moves after the death of NTR, and later with the exit of Harikrishna from the party, earlier, he has come up with a marriage proposal. Of giving his son Lokesh in marriage with Balakrishna's daughter Brahmani.

This way, he not only has Balakrishna, who has kept away from politics all along, canvassing for his party, but can also hope to cash in on the glory of NTR. And everything seems to work according to his plans. For, initially, the NTR family, it is reliably learnt, was antithetical to the very proposal of giving Brahmani is marriag to Lokesh. But, Buvaneshwari stepped in to cut the ice.

Everything has worked well so far. How? Harikrishna was give his rightful due during the recently anniversary celebrations of the party in Tirupati. And two, he has dangled the carrot of Rajya Sabha seat to Balakrishna. What more, with Balakrishna busy shooting for his film Okka Mogadu near Rajahmundry, Chandrababu has reportedly told the partymen that the latter's birthday celebrations on June 10 in Rajahmundry, which Balakrishna is planning to celebrate with his fans, should be a party affair. And that no stone should be left unturned to make it a grand spectacle. Gorantla Buchaiah Choudary, a senior TDP leader from the place, has been personally supervising all the arrangements at Subrahmanya Grounds in Rajahmundry.

And there have been messages flying thick and fast from the top rung leaders in Hyderabad, a euphemism for Chandrababu's house, that no Telugu Desam flags or banners should be seen at the venue. Not even the colour yellow! Everything should look as if it is being done by Balakrishna's fans alone.

It is reliably learnt that Balakrishna is likely to make an important announcement concerning his entry into politics and his role in the Telugu Desam Party. While this has gladdened the heart of Chandrababu, it is also making him jittery, that Balakrishna might say something unusual that the party may not be unable to digest. But, is there anything that the diplomatic Chandrababu can't counter in his life?

Photo of Lokesh and Brahmani, the most-talked about couple in Andhra today

Are you not ashamed of using my father's name? NTR's daughter Purandeshwari's letter missive to Chandrababu Naidu

N T Rama Rao's daughter and Daggubati Venkateswara Rao's wife Purandeswari has spewed venom on N Chandrababu for shamelessly using her father's name on the occasion of the party's silver jubilee celebrations. In a letter addressed to Chandrababu Naidu, she said, "You have conspired against him and snatched power from him. You didn't allow him to talk in the Assembly, and as a result for the first time in his life he bowed his head and walked away." Continuing her attack on Naidu, she said, "Are you not ashamed of using his name to pursue your interests? Especially when, in his last days, NTR had only contempt for you?"
She had a word of advice for Naidu, "Stop using NTR's name, lest people would not tolerate you."
And she had a word of advise for her brother Harikrishna too. "Harikrishna too should remember the humiliation Chandrababu has heaped on our father."

Are you listening Mr Harikrishna?

Is Lokesh marrying Balakrishna's daughter?

It is a rumour that has been doing the rounds for more than six months now. That Chandrababu Naidu, who has been alienated from the NTR family, has been desperately making efforts to mend fences with NTR's family members. As a first step in that direction, it is said, he has opened the doors of TDP to Harikrishna. And now, we have been hearing that Naidu is harping on his son Lokesh marry Balakrishna's daughter. But, it is believed, that Balakrishna is not very enthu about the idea. And so, we hear, the proposal has been hanging in the balance. Now, a fresh rumour is doing the rounds that Balakrishna has indeed yielded to Naidu's requests and that the engagement has also taken place. But we are not sure whether it is true or not. Only time will tell.