VIJAYAWADA: That Chandrababu Naidu cannot take the mercurial Junior NTR for granted came to light on Wednesday when the TDP star campaigner abruptly halted his roadshow for some time in West Godavari upon learning that his producer-friend Vamsi Mohan was denied the Gannavaram assembly ticket.

A “deeply hurt” Junior NTR immediately decided to skip the tour after Vamsi complained to him that Naidu had decided to give the Gannavaram ticket to Dasari Balavardhan Rao, promoted by Jr NTR’s father Harikrishna. A few phone calls and explanations later and after extracting a promise from the TDP chief that the seat issue would be discussed in Hyderabad on Thursday, the hotshot actor relented and resumed his blitzkrieg.

It all began in the morning when Naidu, who held discussions with senior leaders from the district, tried to convince Vamsi to contest from Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency against sitting MP Lagadapati Rajagopal. “Naidu tried to pull a fast one by fielding Dasari from Gannavaram in order to pacify his brother-in-law Harikrishna,” a party insider said.

Naidu reportedly explained the seriousness of the seat row to Vamsi, who did not utter a single word but kept assuring the former that he would not go against the interests of the party. He, however, brought the issue to the notice of his friend Jr NTR, who is touring West Godavari. Sources said Vamsi told Jr NTR that he was being made a scapegoat by Naidu to contest from Vijayawada where no other leader has come forward to take on Lagadapati and added that he too would not enter the fray. “ Gannavaram is out of my grasp,” Vamsi told Jr NTR not hiding the bitterness in his voice.

“Jr NTR took the issue as an insult and stopped the tour for some time near Bhimavaram making the party leaders scurrying for cover,” sources said. Stung by the developments, Naidu spoke to Jr NTR and the latter resumed the tour only after Naidu assured him that he would not finalise the Gannavaram ticket issue without consulting the actor. While Vamsi is in Hyderabad, his rival Balavardhan returned to Gannavaram without meeting Naidu on Wednesday.

NTR.Jr who is touring said to be disturbed with this and took a break for Road show for couple of minutes and expressed his unhappy for not giving Gannavaram assembly seat to Vamsy Mohan.

On the other hand, NTR.Jr West Godhavari Roadshows comes to end by tomorrow. He would take a week rest after this tour , before commencing second tour of Road shows.

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