Hyderabad, May 28 (IANS) Rich tributes were paid to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao on his 102nd birth anniversary on Wednesday.

Family members, including NTR’s son Nandamuri Ramakrishna, daughter Nara Bhuvaneswari, and grandsons — actors Jr NTR and Kalyan Ram — offered floral tributes at NTR Ghat on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad.

Bhuvaneswari, who was accompanied by her grandson Devansh, also paid her respects on the social media platform X.

The wife of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu noted that NTR’s absence was not just a personal loss to the family but an irreparable void in the hearts of Telugu people. She described his ideals, dedication to service, and cinematic journey as towering symbols of pride for the Telugu community.

NTR’s second wife, Lakshmi Parvathi, also visited NTR Ghat to offer her tributes.

Celebrations were also held at the TDP’s annual conclave, Mahanadu, in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Chandrababu Naidu led the party in paying homage, joined by his son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh, party ministers, and other leaders, who garlanded a statue of the late leader.

Addressing the gathering, Naidu said NTR Jayanti was a festival for the Telugu people. “No one else in history has ruled two fields like NTR. He rose like Everest in the Telugu film industry. Truth, honesty, and determination were his weapons,” he said.

Naidu highlighted NTR’s legacy, noting that he made history with a 33-year career in cinema and 13 years in politics. “He proved that power is responsibility and position is service. He redefined Indian politics with his belief that rulers exist to serve the people,” he said.

Naidu affirmed that NTR’s memory would always live on and that the TDP flag would continue to fly high in his honour.

N.T. Rama Rao founded the TDP in 1982 with the slogan of Telugu self-respect. In a historic political debut, he came to power in united Andhra Pradesh within a year of launching the party. He served three terms as Chief Minister and played a key role in uniting opposition parties at the national level against the Congress.

NTR passed away on January 18, 1996, a few months after he was unseated from power following a revolt led by Naidu, amid allegations of undue influence exerted by his second wife, Lakshmi Parvathi, on the party and administration.

–IANS

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