This year's Sankranti festival is going to be a special one for Chandrababu Naidu and late NTR's kin. In a new bonding between Nara and NTR families, the first statue of N.T. Rama Rao will be unveiled by the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, in his native Naravaripalle in Chittoor district on Friday. Interestingly, NTR's statue will come up in Naidu's birth place 16 years after the death of NTR. Mr Naidu and his actor brother-in-law N. Balakrishna, Mr Naidu's brother Nara Ramamurthy Naidu, his sisters and other close relatives will join the family union for Sankranti at Naravaripalle on Friday and Saturday.

Actor Balakrishna's elder daughter Brahmani married Mr Naidu's son Nara Lokesh strengthening the bond between the families. Mr Naidu's nephew Girish is overseeing the arrangements at the native village. "It's a family get together. No politics is involved," Mr Girish says. It is said that Mr Ramamurthy Naidu, brother of Mr Naidu, is eyeing the Chandragiri Assembly seat on a TD ticket for himself or his son Girish. Mr Naidu will unveil NTR statue and a mineral water plant sponsored by the NTR Trust. Sources in the TD said Mr Naidu whose coup against NTR created a rupture in the family and led to acrimonious fights for long, has bonded after the marriage of Lokesh with Brahmani, eldest daughter of Balakrishna.

There was also a criticism that Mr Naidu ignored NTR in his own village and was trying to have his own legacy. "We have made all arrangements for our party chief’s visit. A darshan is planned at Tirumala before his return to Hyderabad," Mr Mahadeva Naidu, president, Chittoor TD said.