ANDHRA PRADESH

Meet the TDP MP who is fighting for AP with his costumes

Sivaprasad collage A collage of various avatars N. Sivaprasad has donned in recent days | PTI

The near-daily protests by MPs of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and other opposition groups outside Parliament started getting prominent as ties between the BJP and its alliance partners in Andhra Pradesh became tense. However, one MP seems to be garnering eyeballs given the various outfits he has donned in these daily protests to highlight the need for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Naramalli Sivaprasad is a doctor who entered electoral politics in 1999, serving in Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 and currently represents Chittoor. He has also acted in movies, even winning a best actor (villain) award for his role in Danger (2005).

Sivaprasad is seemingly putting his theatrical skills to good use in the ongoing TDP protests outside Parliament.

If on Friday, he was dressed up as a fisherman, it was in a 'Muslim dress' that Sivaprasad was seeking attention to AP's need for special status on the previous day. Sivaprasad had donned the robes of a Christian priest, with a Bible in hand, on Wednesday. Lest the majority community feel left out, on previous days, he played the Nadaswaram, a ceremonial flute, and had dressed up as Lord Krishna!

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He had also donned saffron robes à la N.T. Rama Rao, the TDP's founder, after the protests started.

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Soon after the TDP announced its unhappiness at the Union budget in early February, Sivaprasad had dressed up as a tantrik and conducted much-publicised rituals, warning Narendra Modi to fulfil his promises.

Sivaprasad first made headlines with his costumes in 2013-14 when he protested the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He flogged himself outside Parliament, before donning a number of costumes: of a widow, Mahatma Gandhi, Santa Claus and much more.

It is not clear whether the costumes will move Modi to act on AP's demands, but Sivaprasad's fame is only going to rise!