Vijaywada: In a shot in the arm for TDP, popular actor and party founder N T Rama Rao's son N Balakrishna today announced his decision to join politics.
Balakrishna, whose daughter is married to party president Chandrababu Naidu's son, said he would contest the next assembly elections in 2014.
He told reporters during a two-day tour of his native Krishna district in coastal Andhra that he would abide by the TDP's decision on where he should contest from.
Balakrishna, who has acted in several Telugu blockbusters in a career spanning three decades, had campaigned for the TDP when his father was at the helm, and even after Naidu took over the reins.
His latest film 'Srirama Rajyam', a mythological film based on Ramayana, was a big hit. N T Rama Rao was hugely popular for his mythological role of Rama, Krishna among others.
Balakrishna's elder brother N Harikrishna is presently a TDP member in the Rajya Sabha.
After unveiling a statue of his late father at Ghantasala in Krishna district, he said he chose to enter politics to serve the poor and downtrodden as per the ideals of his father.
The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has failed to implement effective measures for people'swelfare, he charged.
The advent of Balakrishna is likely to help the TDP in the upcoming local body polls and by polls to a large number of assembly seats.