AMARAVATI: The NT Rama Rao family may soon see yet another political rift in its ranks with former minister and eldest son-in-law of NTR, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, likely to join the YSR Congress in a couple of weeks. His son, Hitesh Chenchuram, too is likely to make the switch. Venkateswara Rao is the husband of NTR’s daughter Purandeswari, who is with the BJP.Sources said YSR Congress will field Hitesh from Purchur assembly segment in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district. However, Purandeswari, who was a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet before she switched to the BJP, is yet to take a final call on quitting BJP. The YSRC leadership is said to have assured her a rousing welcome into the party with the promise that they will field her from one of the key Lok Sabha constituencies in coastal AP.The induction of Venkateswara Rao in YSRC is likely to give a boost to the party in Prakasam district where he has a good following. Venkateswara Rao quit active politics and chose not to contest elections after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. He was in self-declared exile after parting ways with TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu in 1996 and re-emerged on the political stage by joining the Congress in 2004.While Venkateswara Rao won the assembly election from Purchur in 2004, Purandeswari became MP on a Congress ticket from Bapatla constituency. Subsequently, she was shifted to Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency before the 2009 election after Bapatla became an SC reserved seat. In the meantime, Venkateswara Rao contested and won yet another election from Purchur in 2009.In his long political career, Venkateswara Rao won all the elections he contested. Known as arch-rival of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu while he was within the TDP, Venkateswara Rao had however extended his support to Naidu when TDP party legislators staged a revolt against its founder chief and CM NTR in 1995. But within weeks, he left the Naidu camp and backed NTR. After Naidu consolidated his position in the TDP, Venkateswara Rao almost went into political oblivion.Before the 2004 elections, the state Congress leadership headed by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had brought the Daggubati couple into the party. The move helped both the Congress and Daggubati family. Venkateswara Rao has staunch followers in Purchur, Chirala and Addanki constituencies. His entry is expected to benefit the YSRCP candidates in other segments in the district as well as bring in Kamma votes.

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