KCR forefathers from Andhra

Hyderabad, Dec. 12: The ongoing Telangana turmoil has unwittingly taken a new twist over the ancestral roots of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, with those opposed to him tracing his family genealogy to the erstwhile Bobbili kingdom in north Andhra.

According to Mr Chandrasekhar Rao baiters, his forefathers came to Medak district several generations back, after leaving the Bobbili samsthan. Mr Chandra-

sekhar Rao was born at Chintamadaka village near Siddipet in Medak district 55 years ago. His father and grandfather were also born in the district.

The TRS legislator and Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s nephew, Mr T. Harish Rao, however, denies the family roots being linked to north Andhra. “We are from here and our family has nothing to do with Bobbili,” he said.

The powerful Velama community, to which Mr Chandrasekhar Rao belongs, ruled over the Bobbili kingdom before the area fell under the control of the Britishers. Historical records show that the Velama community later “settled” in different parts of the state. Some of them including the forefathers of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao are said to have settled in Telangana about 150 years or more ago, while others preferred Godavari and Krishna districts.

Though the talk of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao being a “settler” and “non-local” has been making rounds ever since he broke away from the Telugu Desam to float the TRS in 2001, it has of late gained momentum. Not only leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema, but those from Telangana too trace the lineage of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao to Vizianagaram (then Srikakulam) district.

The Uttarandhra Vidhyarthi Sena, which is spearheading United Andhra Movement in north coastal districts, is of the view that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s forefathers had lived in Buddipeta village in Sitanagaram mandal of the present Vizianagaram district. Argues the Vidyarthi Sena president, Mr S.R. Murthy, “The TRS chief should first talk of the backwardness of his ancestral region (north Andhra) before talking up the cause of Telangana. He should not forget the past of his forefathers.”

Interestingly, the TRS contested in several Parliament constituencies in coastal Andhra during 2004 general elections to claim the status of a “regional party”. The party fielded candidate, Mr G. Venkatesh, for the Bobbili (now Vizianagaram) Lok Sabha seat. He polled 14,131 votes including 3,444 votes in Gajapatinagaram Assembly segment.

The TRS chief is also known for “settling” either in one constituency to another, shifting from his native Siddipet to Karimnagar and then to Mahbubnagar. Senior citizens from Bobbili claim that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s great grandfathers used to frequent north Andhra for trading. Their visits have been regular since beginning of the 19th century, since Bobbili was one of the civilised towns in that era nurturing art and culture apart from offering better living standards. During 2004 general elections, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly recalled his ancestors’ relation with the great town of Bobbili and fielded Mr Venkatesh from the area on TRS symbol ‘Car’. People from Andhra region question the rationale behind the TRS’ call, “Settlers Go Back”. The TRS has come out with a list of properties held by “settlers” including those of film actor Nagarjuna. TRS activists have been attacking and damaging the properties of “settlers” in Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak and Hyderabad. Their prime targets have been educational institutions managed by Sri Chaitanya, Narayana, Gowtham and Bhashyam groups. “We have been living here for the past 40 years. How can we be described as settlers,” argued the former minister, Mr J.C. Diwakar Reddy.

The Sangareddy legislator, Mr T. Jayaprakash Reddy, who once rubbed shoulders with Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, went to the extent of giving “KCR Bobbili Bhago” call in retaliation. “Chandrasekhar Rao should not forget his roots. He himself is a settler in Telangana as his ancestors had migrated from Bobbili,” he pointed out.