Hyderabad, May 28 : Rich tributes were paid to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N. T. Rama Rao by his family members on his 101st birth anniversary on Tuesday.

NTR's son and Tollywood actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, daughter Daggubati Purandeswari, and grandson and popular actor Jr NTR paid floral tributes at NTR Ghat on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake here.

Another son, Nandamuri Ramakrishna, grandson and actor Kalyan Ram, and other family members also paid their respects to the late leader.

Jr NTR and his brother Kalyan Ram were the first to pay their floral tributes.

Balakrishna told the media that NTR was an institution of acting, who left an indelible mark on the film industry.

He recalled that after entering politics, NTR brought people from all walks of life into the political arena.

Balakrishna said: 'He made special efforts to ensure the participation of those sections of society that were kept away from politics. He encouraged weaker sections, backward classes, and minorities to actively participate in politics."

He recalled that after coming to power, NTR launched several welfare schemes for the people.

NTR's daughter, Daggubati Purandeswari, who is now the BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit president, visited NTR Ghat along with her husband, D. Venkateswara Rao, and other family members.

'NTR was not just a name or an individual. He was a sensation,' said Purandeswari.

She said he would always live in the hearts of Telugu people.

The former union minister recalled that NTR acted in over 320 films, bringing life to every character he played.

'After entering politics, he demonstrated that politics is not just for power but can be used to serve people,' she said.

NTR founded TDP in 1982 on the slogan of Telugu self-respect. He created a record by coming to power in united Andhra Pradesh in less than a year after founding the party.

NTR served three terms as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and played a key role in uniting opposition parties against Congress. He passed away on January 18, 1996.

/IANS