Daggubati Purandeswari

Some Lesser Known Facts About Daggubati Purandeswari

• Daggubati Purandeswari is an Indian politician. She has held the position of President of the Andhra Pradesh BJP since 4 July 2023, following her appointment by the central leadership of the BJP.

• Daggubati Purandeswari’s father held various notable roles in Indian cinema and politics. He served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three terms, totalling seven years. His career in the Telugu film industry spanned over 300 films, and he received recognition for his contributions. He was honoured with three National Film Awards, one for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under the esteemed National Art Theater in Madras, and another for directing Varakatnam (1970).

• In addition, the film Badi Panthulu showcased his exceptional talent, leading to his win of the first-ever Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Telugu in 1972. N.T.R.’s impact on the world of cinema was further solidified when he was voted the “Greatest Indian Actor of All Time” in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted in 2013, coinciding with the Centenary of Indian Cinema. His remarkable achievements were acknowledged with the prestigious Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1968. Beyond his cinematic pursuits, N.T.R. delved into politics, establishing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three memorable terms from 1983 to 1995.

  

• In terms of national involvement, he played a crucial part in the establishment of the National Front, a coalition of non-Congress parties that governed India from 1989 to 1990. Tragically, her mother succumbed to cancer in 1985. After her mother’s passing, her father entered into matrimony with the Telugu writer Lakshmi Parvathi in 1993, who also served as his biographer. Among a large family comprising eight brothers and three sisters, she was the second daughter.

• The family has witnessed several significant events, commencing with the demise of her eldest brother, Nandamuri Ramakrishna Sr., in 1962, prompting her father to establish Ramakrishna Studios in Nacharam as a lasting tribute. At the age of 72, her father, NT Rama Rao, suffered a heart attack and passed away on 18 January 1996 at his residence in Hyderabad.

• Regrettably, her brother Nandamuri Saikrishna, a renowned theatre owner, passed away in 2004 due to complications related to diabetes. Tragically, another brother, Nandamuri Harikrishna, who began his career as a child actor and later ventured into politics, lost his life in a car accident on 29th August 2018. Harikrishna’s sons, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. have found success as actors in the Telugu cinema industry.

• Carrying forward the family’s influence in the film world, her brother Nandamuri Balakrishna emerged as a prominent actor in Tollywood during the mid-1980s. Balakrishna contested and won the Hindupur Assembly Constituency in the 2014 elections as a candidate of the TDP. Another sibling, Nandamuri Ramakrishna Jr., is involved in film production. Meanwhile, her sister, Bhuvaneshwari, is married to former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

  

• Sadly, the family has also experienced a profound loss with the tragic discovery of her youngest sister, Uma Maheswari, who was found deceased at her residence in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills on 1 August 2022. The police report suggests that her death may have been a suicide, although no suicide note was found.

• Purandeswari’s family connections include N Chandrababu Naidu as her brother-in-law, N Trivikrama Rao as her uncle, and Nara Lokesh, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, NT Rama Rao Jr, Nandamuri Suhasini, and Taraka Ratna as her nieces and nephews.

• On 9 May 1979, she got married to Dr Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, with whom she has two children: a daughter named Nivedita and a son named Hitesh Chenchuram. Venkateswara Rao, a notable figure, has held prominent positions as a former Minister, a former Member of Parliament, and a former member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, representing the Parchur constituency in Prakasham District until 2014. Demonstrating his widespread popularity, he achieved an impressive victory in the 2009 General Election, securing a majority of 2,776 votes. Throughout his esteemed political career, Rao achieved a series of triumphs, being elected to the State Assembly in 1983, 1985, 1989, 2004, and 2009, while also serving as a representative in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, from 1991 to 1996. He further ascended to the Rajya Sabha, the distinguished Upper House, in 1996.

• In 1997, Daggubati established the Hyderabad Institute of Gem and Jewellery.

• In the 2014 elections, Venkateswara Rao ran as an independent candidate, but later in 2019, he joined the YSR Congress Party. In the highly competitive 2019 Legislative Assembly elections, Rao bravely contested for the Parchur Assembly Constituency in the Prakasham district. Unfortunately, he faced a narrow defeat against the strong opponent, Eluri Sambasiva Rao, who represented the TDP. After this close loss in the elections, despite running on a YSRC ticket from the Purchur assembly constituency in Bapatla district, Daggubati kept a low profile.

  

• On 17 January 2023, during an interview about his political career, Dr Daggubati Venkateswara Rao announced his retirement from politics. He made this decision after becoming disenchanted with the prevailing system. His son, Hitesh Chenchuram, also chose not to pursue a career in politics after witnessing the disappointing state of affairs. Hitesh had returned from the USA intending to be the YSRC’s candidate for Purchur in the 2019 elections. However, due to citizenship issues, he was unable to contest. As a result, his father stepped in to run in the election but experienced his first electoral defeat despite the wave of support for the YSRC.

• Dr Daggubati Venkateswara Rao’s political journey has been marked by various shifts since he joined the TDP in 1983. Initially, he supported his father-in-law, NT Ramarao, before aligning with Naidu when he split from the party in 1995. However, after Naidu failed to fulfil his promises, Rao returned to NTR’s side. By then, Naidu had gained significant control over the TDP and popularity among the people.

• Although her husband, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, initially supported Chandrababu Naidu during the uprising against their father-in-law, N. T. Rama Rao, in August 1995, he later shifted his loyalty and aligned himself with the Congress party due to Naidu’s gradual marginalization, prompting Venkateswara Rao to seek a new political association.

• Later, Rao briefly served in the BJP before retiring from politics. Unexpectedly, the Daggubati family joined the Congress party before the 2004 elections. With the state’s division in 2014, Rao stepped back from active politics but later returned as a YSRCP candidate in the 2019 elections, where he faced his first electoral defeat. Purandeswari followed a distinct path compared to her family and patiently waited after her father’s demise to establish herself as a formidable politician; however, she pursued a political career her father would have never approved of. Despite her family’s background, she remained unnoticed until her unexpected emergence as a politician unfolded and added a twist to the family political saga, which started after her father’s demise.

• Beginning her journey in electoral politics in 2004, she faced internal conflicts, particularly due to differences with her sister’s spouse. Despite maintaining a cordial relationship with Naidu, even during his rise to chief minister by overthrowing NTR’s government in 1995, tensions emerged within the Daggubati family due to Naidu’s perceived neglect. Subsequently, she joined the Indian National Congress and remained a member from 2004 to 2014. At the age of 45, Purandeswari entered the political arena as the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Her political entry seemingly aimed to prevent Naidu from solely inheriting NTR’s political legacy. The Congress party welcomed both Purandeswari and her husband, revealing the divisions within NTR’s family. Purandeswari triumphed in the elections and garnered acclaim as an outstanding parliamentarian. Her swift ascent within the Congress led to her appointment as the state minister for human resources in the Manmohan Singh cabinet within two years, showcasing her impressive abilities.

  

• Apart from being skilled in English, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and French languages, she is an expert in the Indian dance style Kuchipudi.

• In 2004, Daggubati Purandeswari contested the Lok Sabha election from the Bapatla constituency in Andhra Pradesh as a candidate of the Indian National Congress. In her debut election, she defeated Daggubati Ramanaidu of the Telugu Desam Party. Subsequently, she represented the Visakhapatnam constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament from the INC. She achieved an impressive victory over her opponent, Palla Srinivasa Rao of the Telugu Desam Party. Within the Parliament, she actively participated in debates on significant bills, including the Domestic Violence Bill, the Hindu Succession Amendment Bill, and the legislation for establishing special courts dedicated to women’s cases. Her insightful contributions were recognized by the Asian Age, which awarded her the prestigious title of the finest Parliamentarian between 2004 and 2005.

• During a momentous Rajya Sabha debate on education held on 10 March 2008, a friendly exchange of words took place between Karan Singh, an experienced Congress politician, and Daggubati Purandeswari, who served as the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development at the time. However, the minister found herself in a difficult situation when responding to a question about the academic accomplishments of Indian students who studied or worked abroad, based on an alleged survey. Within just 48 hours, Purandeswari’s statements became the subject of widespread ridicule in the media. An article titled “India Rising in the US: Govt Falls Victim to Net Hoax” clarified that there was no survey supporting these figures and highlighted that the numbers were sourced from a widely circulated chain email on the Internet that had been around for several years.

• Purandeswari achieved success once more on a Congress ticket during the 2009 general elections and subsequently assumed ministerial positions in commerce, industry, and later textiles. Within approximately five years, the poised and articulate Purandeswari solidified herself as an esteemed leader in state politics. Amidst the tumult triggered by the division of Andhra Pradesh into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2014, Purandeswari and her husband Rao parted ways with the Congress party. She aligned herself with the BJP and faced defeat in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While serving as a BJP spokesperson in Andhra, she maintained a steadfast opposition to Naidu, especially after the TDP severed its ties with the NDA government in the latter part of 2018.

• On 7 March 2014, Purandeswari decided to leave the Congress party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) due to her strong concerns regarding the Telangana issue. In the presence of former party chief M Venkaiah Naidu, she joined the BJP and expressed her desire to contest for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat. In an interview, she openly expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision to divide the state and the unquestioning compliance of party members, as it was a decision made solely by the INC party. She shared how deeply she was hurt by the state’s division. After the introduction of the Telangana Bill in the Lok Sabha, Purandeswari officially resigned from the Congress party, explaining that she felt compelled to take this step as there were no viable alternatives after the partitioning of Andhra Pradesh.

  

• In 2014, after being associated with the Indian National Congress for ten years, the politician decided to join the BJP. Her decision was driven by the Congress’ choice to divide the state of Andhra Pradesh. She strongly criticized the party workers and leaders for allowing the state to be divided. In the same year, the BJP nominated her as their candidate for the Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency. However, she faced challenges as she was seen as an outsider in the constituency. Coming from the Krishna district, she had to contest in an area where the Reddy and Balija communities held more influence. In contrast, her community, the Kamma community, had limited sway in that region. Unfortunately for Purandeswari, Rajampet was not her preferred choice, as she initially wanted to contest from the Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada seat where she believed her chances of winning were higher.

• Amidst speculation and deep thought, it was reported that Daggubati Purandeswari was contemplating the path of her political career, carefully considering whether to persist in politics or embrace retirement. In 2019, rumours circulated about a potential affiliation with the YSR Congress party, but those close to her strongly denied such claims, emphasizing her dedication to the BJP or highlighting her intention to announce retirement rather than joining another party.

• However, the BJP insisted that the Visakhapatnam seat should be given to their leader, Haribabu, and the TDP showed reluctance to give up the Vijayawada seat. Despite Purandeswari’s persistence in wanting to contest, she was eventually assigned the Rajampet seat as a last option. Some reports suggested that her campaign seemed lacklustre, leading to speculation that she was given the seat because the BJP didn’t have better candidates. Furthermore, the TDP was not interested in including Rajampet in their seat-sharing arrangement, considering it an unfavourable constituency. Shortly after her nomination was filed, Chandrababu Naidu publicly criticized the BJP for fielding weak candidates and even considered breaking the alliance with the BJP.

• In a three-way competition, she faced off against Sai Prathap of the Congress, a six-time winner, and Mithun Reddy of the YSR Congress party. Unfortunately, she lost to Mithun Reddy of the YSR Congress party by a margin of 174,762 votes. In July 2015, she was assigned the role of co-in-charge of the Karnataka BJP and was also appointed as the in-charge of BJP’s Mahila Morcha. Later, she was given the responsibility of leading the Odisha BJP state unit. In September 2020, she was appointed as the BJP national general secretary. On 4 July 2023, the central leadership of the BJP appointed her as the President of the Andhra Pradesh BJP.

  

• To honour his late first wife, NT Rama Rao, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, established the Smt. Nandamuri Basavataraka Rama Rao Memorial Cancer Foundation (NBTRCF).

• Purandeswari’s ability to engage and inspire audiences is evident in her skilful speeches and expressive talks, highlighting her remarkable talent for forging connections and effectively conveying her ideas. She is affectionately referred to by many as the ‘Sushma Swaraj of the South.’

• The appointment of Purandeswari as the BJP state president in July 2023 created a significant impact, receiving positive reactions even from leaders of rival political parties. Roja, a state minister and member of the YSRCP, expressed admiration for the selection of a woman as the BJP president. While Roja, a former actress, expressed a touch of sadness that none of NTR’s family members had assumed leadership of the party he founded, she suggested that NTR’s supporters would have been pleased if Purandeswari had taken charge of the TDP. U. Arun Kumar, a respected Congress leader and former minister, refrained from making political remarks about Purandeswari’s appointment but personally commended her. Highlighting her gentle nature and respectful treatment of others, he praised her as a deserving individual.

• After she assumed the position of the Andhra Pradesh BJP state president, Daggubati Purandeswari addressed the media on 13 July 2023. She expressed her determination to strengthen the party in the state and highlighted the false campaign against them. Purandeswari pointed out that the BJP assisted Andhra Pradesh regardless of the votes received. She questioned the state government’s claim of direct benefit transfer under Rythu Bharosa, pointing out that it solely relied on central funds, and inquired about the chief minister’s promise of Rs. 12,500 for farmers. Additionally, she mentioned that the Centre had allocated Rs. 20,000 crores for housing programs over the past nine years; however, the BJP alleged that the progress in constructing dwellings under the state government was sluggish. Purandeswari also criticized the YSR Congress Party government for the poor condition of roads in the state and its failure to develop Andhra Pradesh despite assistance from the BJP-led government at the Centre. She highlighted issues such as the flight of industries, pending contractor bills worth ₹40,000 crores, collapsed law and order, and lack of safety for women and children.

  

• While she was asked about possible alliances in the 2024 assembly elections, in an interview, Purandeswari refrained from commenting about a potential partnership with the Telugu Desam Party but expressed that the BJP would maintain its friendly relations with the Jana Sena Party. Some reports suggested that as the newly appointed president of the Andhra Pradesh BJP unit, Purandeswari might play a crucial role in shaping the tripartite alliance and aiding the BJP’s growth in the state. She succeeded Somu Veeraju, and her appointment signifies a potential alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the Telugu Desam Party. Her appointment as the BJP state president made Purandeswari the most recognized national leader in the Andhra Pradesh BJP. Before she was the president of the state BJP, she was given in charge of the BJP Mahila Morcha and also served as the BJP general secretary in charge of Odisha.