Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, the former TDP leader, short-term chief minister and NT Rama Rao's arch-rival, has revealed in an interview what late Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati allegedly told him many, many years ago.

"I was in Srisailam once when the Sankaracharya wanted to talk to me in a closed-door meeting. He told me in the room that Rama Rao was plotting to assassinate Ramoji Rao within 20 days. He asked me to make up with my rival (Rama Rao) because Ramoji Rao is anyways going to be dead. I was both surprised and shocked. I told the Swamiji that I will never patch up with Rama Rao as I might lose my integrity in the eyes of the people if I did so," Bhaskara Rao said.

Why did NTR want to "kill" Ramoji Rao? Claims Bhaskara Rao, "When Rama Rao founded the TDP, Ramoji helped the party by supplying things in kind worth Rs 25 lakh. After Rama Rao came to power, he sought his contribution to be returned in cash. Rama Rao didn't agree to this; he told Ramoji Rao upfront that he used his (NTR's) pictures to increase the circulation of his newspaper and therefore he owed him nothing. This angered Ramoji. Rama Rao was interested to nominate Ramoji for Rajya Sabha, but the latter rejected the offer."

"I know only this much. I don't know what happened between them after I left the TDP camp," Bhaskara Rao said.